As India stand on the brink of another humiliation, a second whitewash on home soil in 12 months, the disastrous batting show in Guwahati on Monday triggered a staggering claim that Virat Kohli retired from the wrong format. The statement came after India crumbled for just 201 runs in the final Test against South Africa, before the visitors extended their lead to 314 at stumps on Day 3 at the Barsapara Stadium.
Taking to X, former cricketer Sreevats Goswami reckoned Kohli should have rather retired from ODI cricket and stayed active as a Test cricketer, insisting that the format misses his energy, passion and winning mentality that he once instilled in the team.
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“Ideally Virat should have left playing ODIs & continued playing test cricket untill he had nothing to give. Test cricket misses him. Not just as a player but just the energy he brought, the love & passion playing for 🇮🇳 where he made the team believe that they can win in any condition,” Goswami wrote.
“The winning mentality & that fire which was there under Virat Kohli feels missing in this team,” he had added in an earlier post.
{{/usCountry}}“The winning mentality & that fire which was there under Virat Kohli feels missing in this team,” he had added in an earlier post.
{{/usCountry}}Kohli shocked world cricket earlier this year in May when he pulled the curtains on his illustrious Test career. The announcement came just five days after Rohit Sharma took exit from the format. The two stalwarts had earlier retired from T20I cricket at the end of the World Cup last year in June, and now remain active only in ODI cricket.
After showing a glimpse of his vintage self with a half-century in Sydney last month, Kohli will be raring to cement his place in India's ODI squad for the 2027 World Cup when he returns to action for the three-match series against South Africa later this month.
In Guwahati, South Africa piled up a daunting 489, built on Senuran Muthusamy’s maiden Test hundred and a blistering 91-ball 93 from No. 9 Marco Jansen. The left-arm quick then tore through India with figures of 6 for 48 as the hosts folded for 201.
Despite a 288-run lead, South Africa chose not to enforce the follow-on, ending Day 3 at 26 without loss after eight overs. Having already won the Kolkata opener by 30 runs, the visitors now stand on the brink of just their second Test series triumph in India, the previous coming in 2000.