IND v AUS 2020: 'Where will India get energy without Virat Kohli,' asks Brad Haddin
The chastening Adelaide loss hurt Team India even more because now they don't have Virat Kohli's dynamism to help them bounce back. Against the bullish Australians, Virat Kohli stood as, what he himself called the 'representation of a new India'.
Virat Kohli's exuberance on the field is contagious to his teammates. This quality becomes even more crucial at Australian grounds like Melbourne and Sydney where batsmen play long hours to tire-out the opposition.
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin pointed out the same and asked where the Indian team will get its energy from.
"If they are going to get back into the game, what I want to know is where they're going to get their energy from. Virat Kohli is gone now and a lot of the energy comes off the back of what he does. He's a world-class player, he's their leader," Fox Cricket quoted Haddin as saying.
Bing in Rohit Sharma to replace Virat Kohli: Brad Haddin
In the first Test, Virat Kohli was the highest scorer for India with his gritty knock of 74 runs. Haddin further remarked that in Virat Kohli's absence, India should look to rope in Rohit Sharma at the earliest. He said that Sharma's experience will help the team through anxious moments.
"I would have a look at bringing someone in like Rohit Sharma. If he comes out of quarantine and he's fit enough to play, I'd put him straight in. I think they need a senior player like that to take the anxiety out of everything and just get everyone thinking about cricket again," Haddin added.
Virat Kohli has left Australia and returned home on paternity leave. As Rohit Sharma is completing his mandatory quarantine in Australia, KL Rahul or Shubman Gill will replace Kohli for the game in Melbourne. Sharma is expected to be slated into the eleven in the New Year's Test in Sydney.