Gautam Gambhir leaves it to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to decide Test future

This Australia tour has given us a glimpse of both sides of the coin. But the sight of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the most senior and respected batters struggling and failing over and over again, was tough to digest. At one level, it made fans wonder why are they still around, and that thought was a fair reflection of their recent form.

India skipper Rohit, who sat himself out of the Sydney Test, made 31 runs at an average of 6.20 in the series. Kohli, on the other hand, made 190 runs at an average of 23.75. Both averaged well below what their standing in world cricket would suggest and their inability to get among the runs was among the main reasons for India’s failure to defend the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the Aussies claiming it with a 3-1 series win.

Rohit, at 37, has already said Test retirement is not on his mind. Kohli, 36, has not even mentioned it in public. That is very much their personal choice. The decision the selectors make may be different from theirs. At some point, India will have to move on.