IT is Virat Kohli’s sense of timing that sets him apart from the rest. Whether it was the immaculate timing of his cover drive, or his timing of declaring his team’s innings. It was ‘perfect’ timing when he announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12- — only that his decision left the legion of his fans stunned and a cricket crazy nation aghast.
One is tempted to ask as to why Virat decided to call it a day in the longest version of the game with the crucial England tour less than a month away. Especially for someone who had scored 9,200 plus runs with 30 centuries.
Virat is someone who likes to dominate the bowlers and is pro-active. It’s no secret that in the last couple of years, his batting in the Tests was very much on the wane. Evidence of this came in the form of a meagre 190 runs which he could manage in five Test matches in the Border Gavaskar Series in Australia from December 2023 to January 2024. Despite scoring a century in the opening Test against the Aussies, his disastrous form and rapid decline was there for all to see.
Another factor was his increasing vulnerability to the ball pitched outside the off stump. It was a chink in his armour that even rookie bowlers were able to exploit— ‘King Kohli’ more than anyone else knew that at 36 and an aging body his tenure at Test cricket was going downhill. Unlike a 25-year-old, there was not much to learn or not too much to tweak in his batting technique.
Also, Virat has repeatedly said that he wants to play the 2027 (50 over) World Cup. For this it was important that he ended his tryst with Tests, since the technique and mindset required for Tests and ODIs are as different like night and day. By bidding adieu to Tests, Virat can now whole- heartedly and single- minded concentrate on his ODI career.
Virat’s exit from the Tests also leaves a gaping hole in the crucial No. 4 position. It will be very big shoes to fill and someone like a KL Rahul will have his hands full during the England tour. Let’s applaud and salute the thrill and excitement King Kohli gave us every time he stepped out to bat for Team India in the whites.
