Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are making mistakes and have not met their own expectations: Irfan Pathan

India has experienced numerous disappointments from its batters throughout the intense series. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not lived up to their promise, while new players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Yashasvi Jaiswal have stepped up.

India lost the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on Monday, December 30, by 184 runs, and now trails 1-2 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The Asian titans faced a target of 340 in 92 overs on Day 5. Although it appeared improbable that India would win, the two-time World Test Championship (WTC) finalists would have wanted to salvage the Test match and enter the series knotted at one in Sydney. They were bowled out for 155 in 79.1 overs, though.

Thus far in the series, the Indian captain has amassed a pitiful average of 6.20, scoring just 31 runs from five innings.

In the meantime, Virat Kohli has not been able to resolve his long-standing issues with deliveries that are pitched outside of his off-stump.

After the Delhi batsman was removed in both innings of the Melbourne Test for prodding at deliveries outside the off-stump, Irfan Pathan was disappointed. The veteran all-rounder for India advised Kohli to improve his discipline.

“Neither Virat nor Rohit, the seniors, lived up to the standards. They fell far short of their own aspirations. They’re committing errors. Virat Kohli’s shot is neither the first or the last time he has made it. The desire to drive outside the off-shrub is still there. He’s been doing this for a long time. It’s what everyone is saying. Virat Kohli is also aware of this. Why is he unable to apply his discipline on the pitch, as we all discuss? Pathan stated during his appearance on Star Sports.

Perhaps he wouldn’t be playing now if he weren’t captain: Irfan Pathan

The Mumbai batsman may not have secured a spot in the starting lineup if he hadn’t been the team’s captain, Pathan remarked, highlighting Rohit’s appalling performance during the series.

“A player who has amassed almost 20,000 runs—but Rohit’s current struggles suggest that his form isn’t helping him at all. Now that he is the captain, he is participating. He might not be on the pitch at this moment if he weren’t captain. A team would have been assigned to you. The best players would have been K.L. Rahul. It would have included Jaiswal. It would have included Shubman Gill. Given his batsmanship, there may not have been room for him in the starting lineup if we deal with reality. However, Pathan stated that he remains with the squad since he is the captain and you want to win the next game to tie the series.

However, his form is really bad. He wasn’t making any runs before coming here, and he hasn’t made any even in India. The scene where Rohit Sharma is batting is really unsatisfactory. For the simple reason that I always want to watch Rohit Sharma bat. It might be one-day or Test cricket. However, he continued, “I can’t see that at all in his form, the way he is moving forward, whether it is his mentality or his coordination with his body.”