The cricket world is in a state of flux ahead of the India vs England Test series starting on June 20 in Leeds.
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott has made a big statement that Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket is a bigger blow to India than Rohit Sharma’s retirement.
Both the superstars retired from Test cricket in May, leaving a big void in the Indian team’s batting lineup.
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Boycott wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph,
“Virat Kohli’s absence is a big deal for India. He was India’s best batsman and talisman in all three formats. Rohit Sharma is a brilliant batsman, but his Test record has not been as strong as Kohli’s. Rohit’s batting has seen ups and downs in the last few years.”
Kohli scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, making him India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket.
On the other hand, Rohit’s fatigue from opening and captaincy also led him to retirement.
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“They should show some wisdom”, why is control over Bazball necessary?
Boycott has also given advice to the England team. England, captained by Ben Stokes, recently defeated Zimbabwe, but Boycott says that if England has to beat a strong team like India, they will have to bring some control in their aggressive Bazball style.
“England’s cricket is exciting, but many times they have lost Tests due to their careless batting. If they show some wisdom, they can beat India,” Boycott said.
He also taunted England by calling them a “one-trick-horse” and advised them to aim for victory, not just entertainment.
“England failed to qualify in the last three World Test Championship finals. They should feel embarrassed. Now a new cycle is starting, so focus on winning,” he warned.
The Indian team is also ready for this series. Young players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant will now try to fill the place of Kohli and Rohit.
But Boycott believes that hardly anyone can repeat the magic and dominance like Kohli. Will India be able to overcome this challenge, or will England win on the basis of baseball? It remains to be seen.
