Legendary Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh feels that in order to quell those who are raising questions about their future in Test cricket, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli must make a powerful impression with their batting performances. The legendary duo came under fire after failing to contribute significantly to India's recent loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Indian captain who struggled through all of his outings in the land down under could only score 31 runs across three Tests. After this, he also decided to rest himself from the fifth and final Test in Sydney. On the other hand, Virat Kohli was facing problems with bowl pitching outside off stump throughout the series. Apart from the century in the second innings in Perth, he could not contribute to the series with bat.
Harbhajan Singh on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
"Rohit, outstanding player of this generation, a great. Virat Kohli, great player of this generation. But a player does not decide their future, their form and selectors decide the future. People start talking wrong about you when you don't score runs, but you can prove them wrong by scoring runs, that is the only way I look at it. If they want to play on, they will have to make a comeback and score big runs," Harbhajan told Sports Tak.
"It is entirely up to the players to think that they are fit enough to play. They are entitled to think like that. I am not only talking about Rohit and Virat particularly, its your thought process which makes you want to play and play good. But, when it comes to the point of selection, only the selectors can decide," Harbhajan added.
In order to examine India's post-series plan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently called a special meeting in Mumbai. President Roger Binny allegedly conducted the meeting, which included talks regarding Rohit and Kohli's roles in upcoming games. The significance of their next performances was emphasized throughout the conference, especially because the ICC Champions Trophy is approaching.
Although Harbhajan acknowledged that the selectors' decision would determine their destiny, he underlined the necessity of strong batting performances to support their claims. Both players must continue to put runs on the board as the team looks to perform consistently before important competitions. The Champions Trophy is now seen as a crucial chance for the seasoned duo to regain their supremacy and solidify their positions within the team. Senior players' steady performances will be crucial to maintaining stability and winning crucial matches as India's cricket scene changes. Now, it is up to Rohit and Kohli to step up and perform when it counts most.