Will Mumbai Test Match Be The Last Dance Together For Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli At Home?
Rohit and Kohli [Source: @SPORTYVISHAL/X.Com]
The third and the final Test match between India and New Zealand could be the last dance together on home soil for India's two great stalwarts - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The duo have won countless matches for the Indian team in Tests, but as hard as it may sound, it is time to say goodbye.
Last dance together for RO-KO?
Both the champion cricketers have been a great servant for the Indian side, and the upcoming Wankhede Test could be their last time playing a red-ball game on home soil. After the conclusion of the Mumbai Test match, India will tour Australia for a 5-match Test series, and their next Test assignment at home will be next year in October.
By that time, Kohli will be nearing 37, and Rohit will be 38-years old, and the duo won't have much cricket left in them. If India win the Wankhede Test and go onto defeat the Aussies, they'll play at the WTC finals in June 2025. Irrespective of the result in the finals, that game should be the last dance for the famed duo - 'ROKO'.
Once the WTC finale gets over, a new cycle will begin and India should look beyond Rohit and Kohli and build for the future. The team has plethora of talent and the 2025-27 WTC cycle should be all about grooming new talents, instead of playing with the same old guard.
India's WTC position at stake
India suffered crushing defeats at the hands of New Zealand in the first two Tests and have already lost the series. This was India's first series defeat at home since the year 2012.
India have 6 Tests remaining and 5 of them will be against the Aussies. For India to reaach the WTC finale, they need to win a minimum of 4 Tests and it won't be an easy task.
The quest to reach the finale begins on November 1 as India take on New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium.