"It will be very difficult to win if your main batters don't score runs" - Saba Karim on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's form heading into England Test
Saba Karim feels it would be difficult for Team India to put it across England in the final Test of the series if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma do not make significant contributions with the bat.
Kohli and Rohit are heading to England on the back of indifferent returns in IPL 2022. While the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper scored 341 runs at an underwhelming average of 22.73, the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain managed a mere 268 runs at an even poorer average of 19.14.
During a discussion on India News, Saba Karim was asked whether the team would be impacted negatively if Kohli and Rohit, who have not been in great form, are unable to fire with the bat. He responded:
"Yes, it will definitely impact. It will be very difficult to win if your main batters don't score runs. We have seen where England's strengths lie and to counter that it is necessary that your match-winners, who have the experience, score runs, the way Joe Root and Ben Stokes did for England."
The former Indian selector pointed out that the experienced duo will have to resolve their issues themselves and score runs in the middle. Saba explained:
"The main players will have to score runs in big matches. You are talking about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of them will have to find a solution in the end. However big the coach might be, a coach can only help you to a certain extent, you only have to go and bat in the middle according to your strengths."
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Partnership runs in all 3 formats of the game
ODI - 4906 runs
T20I - 991 runs
Test - 940 runs
No duo have 1000+ runs in all three Formats, Can Virat and Rohit acheive the feat in upcoming England series? 🤔
#ViratKohli𓃵 #RohitSharma https://t.co/rLy46CEmqw
Rohit, with 368 runs at an impressive average of 52.57, was India's highest run-getter in the first four Tests against England played last year. Kohli, on the other hand, did not have a great time, with his 218 runs coming at a below-par average of 31.14.
"Virat Kohli scoring runs is extremely necessary for India" - Saba Karim
Saba Karim reckons Virat Kohli playing without the additional responsibility of captaincy could bring the best out of him. He elaborated:
"I feel now that the captaincy burden has been removed from Virat Kohli's shoulders, if he bats more freely, concentrates on his preparation and bats while thinking about how the bowler is trying to get him out, we will see runs from him again. Virat scoring runs is extremely necessary for India."
Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid talking about batting in England conditions. https://t.co/VKpsVdEI84
Kohli has aggregated 841 runs at a lowly average of 28.03 in the 17 Tests he has played since the beginning of 2020. He has also endured an almost three-year wait for an international century and will hope to end that spell in the upcoming final Test against England.