"Team Unsure Of The Form Of" Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma And Shreyas Iyer: Irfan Pathan
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan attributed stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's failures during the first ODI against Australia in Perth - and the team playing a deep batting line-up - to a lack of game time on the part of both legends
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan attributed stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's failures during the first ODI against Australia in Perth - and the team playing a deep batting line-up - to a lack of game time on the part of both legends. He said that "processes need to be completed no matter how big a player you are." The former all-rounder, on the other hand, hailed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for giving himself some game time against South Africa A ahead of the Proteas' tour of India in November.
Pathan was speaking on his YouTube channel. Both Rohit and Virat, who were last seen in Indian colours during the ICC Champions Trophy win back in March, had poor outings in Perth, scoring eight and a duck respectively. While they played in the IPL from April to June, they did not have much game time afterward, having retired from Tests ahead of the England tour and from T20Is last year - missing out on an intense five-Test tour to England, the T20I Asia Cup, and the home series against the West Indies, which included two Tests.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan emphasized that 'Ro-Ko' would not be judged by their performance in every match, given their massive and impressive ODI records and their proven greatness.
"But you have to do the things that are needed - you have to complete the processes, you have to play matches. In this regard, they have fallen behind. If they had played some matches before coming and shown some form, the team management might have thought seven batters are enough, and we can include Kuldeep Yadav. But now, since the team is unsure of the form of three players, it is not happening," he said.
"It's not like they (Virat, Rohit, and Shreyas Iyer) didn't have options to play cricket during the break. I believe that no matter how big a player you are, when it comes to Indian cricket, you have to make sure that you return after following the proper process. We have seen both Rohit and Virat work hard, but match fitness and regular fitness are two different things. For example, Rishabh Pant, coming back from injury, will play for India A against South Africa A," he added.
"Pant, who is a match-winner in Tests, could have said, 'I'm fit, I'm fine, I'll play the Tests against South Africa straightaway.' But no - it doesn't happen like that. That's why he'll be playing for India A, and that's exactly how it should happen," Pathan concluded.
While Iyer did not feature in any Test or T20I competition for India after leading Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the IPL final, he did give himself some game time in the Duleep Trophy and during Australia A's tour to India for India A. While he struggled in red-ball formats, he scored a century and a fifty in three ODIs against Australia A, as captain.
Pant is set to make his competitive cricket comeback as captain of India A, leading the team against South Africa A in a four-day match on October 30. He will play both matches against South Africa A before the Test series begins in mid-November.
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
India Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team