Virat Kohli might have smashed his 52nd ODI century on Sunday against South Africa in Ranchi, but the knock was overshadowed by the reports of the former India captain being asked to rethink his Test retirement. Kohli bid adieu to the longest format earlier this year, just days before the squad announcement for the England series. He retired from Tests after playing 123 Tests and falling just a few runs short of the coveted 10,000-run mark.
Amid India's dismal performance against South Africa, where the hosts were blanked 0-2 in the two-match series, several reports began circulating, stating that the recently retired cricketers (Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin) might be asked to reconsider their Test careers. However, the rumours were swiftly quashed by Kohli himself when he came to pick up the Player of the Match accolade.
At the post-match presentation, Kohli confirmed that he'll continue playing just the one format (ODIs) and there is no thought of a Test retirement rethink in his mind.
Former India spinner Ashwin has now shared his thoughts on the matter, stating that the decision to retire was not made by Kohli overnight, and since he has made the call, one should respect it.
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“What's there to think about? Whatever decision we take, it is well thought out. No one decides about retirement overnight. I am fairly certain that if Virat retired from Tests, he was quite clear that he wanted to do so. Nobody makes instinctive decisions. We have all crossed that road,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
{{/usCountry}}“What's there to think about? Whatever decision we take, it is well thought out. No one decides about retirement overnight. I am fairly certain that if Virat retired from Tests, he was quite clear that he wanted to do so. Nobody makes instinctive decisions. We have all crossed that road,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
{{/usCountry}}“Sure, as audience and fans, we all want to see Virat Kohli. It's there, and the way he batted yesterday, fans are going to think Virat Kohli is in his prime and why we are not able to see him. Test cricket is a different kettle of fish, and he has made his decision about that,” he added.
‘Team in transition’
Ashwin also minced no words, saying that revisiting the Test retirement decision would not be the right thing to do for now, as the Indian team has already entered a transition phase.
It is worth mentioning that Ashwin, Rohit, and Kohli all retired from Tests within a span of five months, taking away a significant amount of experience from the side. A young Indian side under the leadership of Shubman Gill might have drawn the series against England in England, but reality quickly dawned after the Proteas blanked India 2-0.
“Let's make one thing very clear. The decision has been made; revisiting it is not the right thing to do. The team has also gone into transition, but I will say one thing, let's just enjoy both Virat and Rohit,” said Ashwin.
“Please let’s do it because once they are done, we could hear talks like ‘oh, what a player he was! Please bring him back’. That doesn’t cut ice for me. For however long they play, let us celebrate them as long as they are playing. As I said, life moves on very fast. Time does not wait for anyone. It is very important that we realise that the time is less. So it is better that we enjoy whatever they are doing,” he concluded.