FIle photo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli© AFP
The two cricketers who were talked about the most after India’s 3-1 drubbing by Australia Down Under were Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both did not have a great series with India captain Rohit dropping himself from the final Test in Sydney. Kohli scored a ton but his other scores were 5, 7, 11, 3, 36, 5, 17 and 6. There are big question marks on whether the duo will be persisted with in India’s next Test series in England in June. In the midst of this, India coach Gautam Gambhir has been sent a clear message regarding Virat Kohli and his chances in England.
“Virat Kohli will know he is past his best and that will hurt. When India come to England, you know exactly where he’s going to be. Just outside off stump, and the business area will be the slips. At 36 years of age, up in the mind, he knows what he should be doing, ” David Lloyd, former England cricketer, told talkSport Cricket.
“Your reflexes just gently go. Ponting said he carried on a bit longer than he should have. The India selectors should know. He is one of the greatest players we have seen but is past his best. Have they got a better player? Do they want to build for the future with a better player at No. 4? The coach (Gautam Gambhir) will have an enormous say, a big say, because he has been in that dressing room. He has lost time. His time is over.”
With full respect to Kohli’s credentials, Lloyd said that the star batter’s time is gone.
“The one thing when you talk about great cricketers, that the rest haven’t, is time. He has lost time. It’s gone. His time’s gone. It comes with age. Everyone tells you what you need to be doing. Stuff like ‘leave the ball’, watch it till the end. But it’s gone. These are great international bowlers. If it’s a repetitive way of getting out – in Test match you know there’s going to be a bank of slips’. If you keep nicking off, it’s a tell-tell sign for anybody that reflexes and reaction time is gone,” he said.
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