Selectors should axe Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and draft Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar in top order

Irrespective of the final result of the Border Gavaskar Trophy series and their performance in the fifth and final Test at Sydney, India’s senior selection committee should take a tough call in showing the door to the two senior statesmen-batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli or asking them to retire by themselves.

India on Monday lost the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground by 184 runs to go 2-1 down in the five-match series.

Both Sharma and Kohli have served Indian cricket well and should be given farewell Tests at home in the coming season allowing the Indian cricket team to be built around youngsters.

The batting has struggled for far too long. In the 37 completed innings they have played (including six declarations) since the beginning of 2023, India have scored 300 or more only 14 times. Out of 17 innings overseas, they have scored 300 or more only on four occasions (with two declarations).

A major share of the blame for the failure should fall on the shoulders of both Kohli and Sharma. They have struggled for runs especially in the 2024-25 season.

There is plenty of talent available in the country that can be blooded immediately after this series, especially if India don’t make it to the World Test Championship Final, which looks very unlikely now.

Among them Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy have shown the temperament to bat under pressure. Sundar batted well even in the last series in Australia in 2020-21.  

Both the batsmen seem technically sound and were trained as openers in their formative years. They have batted higher up the order for their teams in domestic cricket.

It would not be a bad idea to induct them as India’s new No. 3 and 4 batsmen behind Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who can open the innings. (Abhimanyu Easwaran is another option to open). Reddy can come in at No. 3 and Sundar at No. 4 or vice-versa. We have seen batsmen starting lower down the order becoming top-notch batsmen later in their careers. Steve Smith is the best and most successful example of such kind.

The selectors have to be brave to take such a tough call and there is no harm in giving it a try. The duo appear well-equipped going by their performance and can be long-term prospects considering their age. Sundar is 25 while Reddy is 21.

KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel can be among those to shore up the middle order.

Tags : Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Indian cricket, Australia, Border Gavaskar Trophy, Sydney, retire, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar