Oct 29, V7N- India's proud home record in cricket has come to an abrupt end, leading to concerns about the future of veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Together, they have been pivotal in India's successes over the past 17 years, contributing to three World Cup titles and two World Test Championship finals, as well as maintaining a 12-year winning streak in home Test series.

Both players stepped back from T20 internationals after winning the World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year, but their recent performances in Test cricket have raised alarms ahead of India's upcoming five-Test series in Australia.

As they prepare for the third Test against New Zealand, India hopes to avoid a rare whitewash, with fans eager for significant contributions from their captain Rohit and stalwart Kohli. Rohit has struggled recently, with six single-digit scores and just one fifty in his last eight innings. Kohli, a modern batting great, has only managed two centuries in the last five years and has averaged 48.31, struggling particularly against left-arm spin, as demonstrated in the second Test against New Zealand.

Dinesh Karthik, Kohli's former teammate, noted that Kohli's recent record against spin has been troubling, suggesting that the star batsman is searching for solutions to his declining form.

India's batting, typically a strength, has faltered, posting dismal scores of 46 in Bengaluru and 146 in Pune, making comebacks nearly impossible in those matches. With a narrow lead over Australia in the World Test Championship standings, another loss in Mumbai would necessitate winning four out of five Tests in Australia to reach the finals.

The upcoming months will be critical in determining whether Kohli and Rohit can extend their Test careers as they approach their late thirties.

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