As India suffered a big defeat in the fourth Border-Gavaskar test match, the focus is once again on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But the limelight is all for the negative reasons, for the duo has been inconsistent throughout the series. The fourth test was not different by any stretch of imagination. Virat and Rohit both managed only a combined 53 runs across two innings.

Virat Kohli Deserves A Longer Rope

There's no doubt that the fans and legends are not happy with the duo's performance and output in this series. Amongst the former players expressing their opinions was Sanjay Manjrekar, who highlighted that the case of Rohit and Virat is different and both players should be treated differently.

“I must say there is no comparison between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as Test batters," Manjrekar was quoted as saying on Star Sports. “Virat Kohli is right up there. He’s a great Test batter and Rohit Sharma is a good Test batter. Rohit’s white-ball batting was great. So Virat Kohli obviously deserves a longer rope."

 

“It’s not really up to Rohit Sharma. If you look at how the protocol and the hierarchy of team selection, the chairman of selectors, has the decision to make. He has the power to do what’s best for Indian cricket, so it’s not so much about Rohit Sharma himself, you know, deciding what should be the future. The chairman of the selector has that power. That’s with Rohit and he does look down in the doldrums. Virat Kohli is a different issue altogether," former Indian batter Manjrekar added.

Manjrekar Questions India's Batting Coach

As India failed miserably in the fourth test, the limelight was once again on the batting unit. Batsmen's continuous failure has undone the good work done by bowlers, especially of Jasprit Bumrah.

Sanjay Manjrekar also pointed fingers at India’s new batting coach, Abhishek Nayar, for failing to address Virat Kohli's dwindling form.

“It’s not so much about Virat Kohli. I want to know what the batting coach of India is doing. We can’t solve the obvious problem of such a fine player," he said “… Enough has been said about Virat. He’s a fine player going through a tough phase. We need to leave him alone and let him work through his issues. This isn’t just about Kohli’s form; it’s also a question of how the team management and batting coach are addressing these problems," he added.

Concerning form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Border-Gavaskar Series 2024-25

After India's big 295-run win in the first test, hopes were high from Team India going into the remainder of the series. Also, Rohit Sharma joined the team from 2nd Test, giving India, the experience and the batting prowess. But it has been nothing short of a disaster from India's batting unit and at the centre of cumulative failure are Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Following the defeat in the fourth test, India are now trailing 1-2 in the series. The 5th and the final test will be played from Januray 3-7 at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).