Last Updated: July 25, 2023, 12:45 PM IST
Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli (AP Photo)
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored runs during the two-match Test series against West Indies that ended on Monday.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma enjoyed a productive Test series against West Indies with each hitting a century as India won 1-0 to start their ICC World Championship campaign on a positive note. However, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has issues with the BCCI selectors for their choice of players for the Tests considering how West Indies fared.
The hosts were outclassed by India for an innings win inside three days in Dominica before they also dominated the second Test which ended in a draw thanks to rain washing out the entire fifth day’s play.
With one century and two fifties, India captain Rohit finished as the second highest run-getter of the series having made 240 runs in three innings.
On the other hand, Kohli made 197 runs from two innings with one century and a half-century.
Gavaskar though feels that the BCCI selectors could’ve opted for more youngsters and rested the two senior stars from the tour itself.
“The runs scored by Rohit and Kohli against this West indies attack begs the question what did the selectors learn that they didn’t know already,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Mid-Day. “Wouldn’t it have been better to try out some youngsters and see how they take to Test cricket or is it that the selectors don’t want any sort of challenge from the younger lot to the established players.”
With Ajit Agarkar named the chairman of selectors earlier this month, Gavaskar wonders if the approach behind picking players will change.
“Now that Ajit Agarkar has come on board as the Chairman of the selection committee let’s see if there is going to be any change in the approach to building a team for the future or if it’s going to be the same old story of the Indian team being the bridesmaid but not the bride,” he wrote.
Gavaskar praised Kohli for ending his overseas century drought with a sparkling hundred in the 2nd Test.
“Kohli didn’t miss out as he had in the first Test match and duly got a century. What that showed is that it’s not just talent but the ability to understand the opposition, the pitch and the conditions to get a big score,” he wrote.
“There are three or four danger areas for a batter. One is at the start of his innings when he is yet to come to terms with the pitch and get his footwork going, the second is when he has reached a half-century and has lost focus for a brief while as he savours the moment and acknowledges it to the crowd and his teammates, the third is when he is in his 90s when he realises the prospect of getting a century and so can play a rash shot in trying to get there quickly and lose his wicket,” he added.
