NEW DELHI: It ended with a whimper. But the worrying part is that it didn’t even start with a bang. With cheap second innings dismissals on the third day of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai on Sunday, ageing stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ended their home season with a royal disappointment.
Spinners running through sides on dustbowls in India was one of the main reasons for the home side’s glorious record in Test cricket. Another reason was the big scores piled up by the Indian batsmen – and most of the time leading from the front were Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
But the record of being unbeatable in a home Test series was broken when the Kiwis won the second Test at Pune. The defeat in the second Test came after the humiliation for India of getting bundled out for 46 – their lowest Test total at home in the first Test at Bengaluru.
Rohit last hit a Test hundred against England at Dharamsala in March 2024. He had ended that season with a bang.
But this season, the Indian captain had very disappointing retuns. In 5 matches, 10 innings, Rohit scored 133 runs at an average of 13.30 with a highest score of 52.
Kohli’s numbers also bear a disappointing look. In 5 matches, 10 innings, Kohli scored 192 runs at an average of 21.33 with a highest score of 70.
Kohli last hit a Test hundred against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023.
The diminishing returns of the two stalwarts in Test cricket is a huge concern ahead of India’s trip to Australia for a five-Test series.
The next couple of months might also determine whether Kohli, who turns 36 next week, and Rohit, who is a year older, can extend their Test careers.
