Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reckons the form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is not a concern while heading into the second Test match against Bangladesh. While Rohit returned with scores of 6 and 5, Kohli registered scores of 6 and 17 in the opening Test match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Kohli decided not to go for the review despite getting an edge before the ball struck his front pad against Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the second essay. India registered a huge win of 280 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series but Kohli and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma could not deliver with the bat.
“I will say it’s not a concern. It happens at times that runs aren’t scored. Runs not getting scored could be a concern if it’s a long patch. They played in the T20 World Cup final and both left at an amazing high,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra noted that Rohit Sharma looked good in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, in which he scored 157 runs in three games.
“After that, you wish to take a little leave and rest. However, they were sent to Sri Lanka for the ODIs. Rohit Sharma looked very good. He didn’t face any difficulties. Virat Kohli didn’t score runs there and after that, there was no other cricket,” Chopra observed.
The renowned commentator added it would have been better if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had played in the Duleep trophy.
“They didn’t play in the Duleep Trophy and I know there was a question attached to your question, about whether not playing the Duleep Trophy became a cause for concern for them. Maybe it would have been better if they had played because there is no hesitation or shame in playing,” he said.
Chopra said Indian all-rounders Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja also didn’t play in the Duleep trophy but they delivered with both bat and ball.
“We have seen Sachin Tendulkar go and play in Lahli. Everyone has played domestic cricket and this Duleep Trophy actually happened to give a little practice for red-ball cricket. However, Ashwin and Jadeja also didn’t play. They didn’t face any difficulties either in batting or bowling. So let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill,” Chopra noted.
The second Test match between India and Bangladesh will be played at Green Park, Kanpur from September 27.
