With India beginning a new chapter in its Test cricket history, the loss of greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is a major obstacle.
Kohli, the great destroyer of global images about Test batting, and Rohit, an internationally admired leader, have left large shoes to fill.
Even with the depth of talent that is now emerging for selection, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his disappointment when newly selected Test captain mentioned that he would miss Kohli and Sharma's pressure and how he would feel the pressure of leading without them.
Synonymous with his straight-shooting opinions, Manjrekar did not mince his words. He questioned the practice of putting Kohli and Rohit in the same class, particularly with regard to Test cricket.
"Right recently, Shubman Gill said something, India's new Test captain about how he is now going to feel the pressure of the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the England season, the Test series there. And it stirred up the bee in my bonnet, which has been there for a while. It's not so much about the statement, but the fact that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli tend to get clubbed together," he said in an Instagram video. "We even have a name for them, RoKo. I can see it in white-ball cricket; there's some equivalence, and they're similar players. Though there's an argument there too, but that's for another time. If we talk about red-ball cricket, there's no comparison at all between the two. And I will never ever place them in the same category. Just to give you some figures, so you don't have to believe me," Manjrekar concluded strongly.
He continued to draw attention to statistical proof, specifically their performances under SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) conditions, which tend to be the test for superior batting in Tests.
"Where it is concerned with SENA countries, the real test of a batter, Virat Kohli has 12 hundreds. 30 Test 100s too. Rohit Sharma in SENA countries, only the one vs England at the Oval 2021. He's batted more than 100 innings, only one hundred in SENA countries. And the average now is 40."
"And I dare say, had he continued playing or had he gone to England, that average would have dropped in the 30s. I cannot be absolutely sure, but that would be my educated guess. So, when it comes to Test cricket, please, red-ball cricket, Virat Kohli is in a different league when you compare him with Rohit Sharma. This comparison in red-ball cricket between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and putting them in the same bracket, I say, Roko, stop that."
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