'Why Isn’t Virat Kohli The Test Captain?', CSK Great Lambasts MI Rival Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli resigned from Test captaincy in 2021 [AP]
India had a disastrous start to their ongoing Test series against South Africa, as the hosts crushed them by an innings and 32 runs in the first match in Centurion. After conceding a hefty lead of 163 runs, the visitors were bowled out for a paltry 131-run total in the second innings, as the rampant Proteas ran through their lineup.
Besides India's lacklustre performance, the one thing that earned massive backlash was timid captaincy from Rohit Sharma. As many experts put it, the Indian captain made some questionable on-field calls, which played a pivotal role in the team's horrendous defeat.
Meanwhile, former Indian batter S Badrinath has slammed Rohit for his leadership shortcomings in the Centurion Test.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the ex-CSK player criticised the veteran opener for his underwhelming performance in overseas Tests, urging India to reinstate Virat Kohli at the helm.
“Kohli is an exceptional Test captain with over 5000 runs, 40 wins, and 17 losses in 68 Tests. He led the team to a remarkable victory in the Australia series and has the fourth-most wins as Test captain," Badrinath said.
"Why isn’t Virat Kohli the Test team captain? He’s a better Test batter than Rohit. Why is a weaker player leading instead of him? Although Rohit Sharma has been in and out, he’s a big player and has scored runs everywhere. But he hasn’t proven himself as an opener outside India. So, why is he there?," he added.
Regarding India, the visitors have replaced injured pacer Mohammed Shami with Avesh Khan and are expected to make a few changes to their playing XI for the second Test in Cape Town.
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