Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has backed under-fire Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after the duo's failure with the bat in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia which the visitors lost 1-3. While Kohli scored a hundred, Rohit endured a tough time with an average of just above six and had to drop himself from the final Test.
Baring his 100 not out in the first Test in Perth, Kohli was dismissed while chasing deliveries outside off-stump in his rest of eight innings on the tour. Rohit, after having missed the first Test, managed just 31 runs in the next three games. He himself stood down from the Sydney Test.
Yuvraj, who won three ICC titles with India, felt it was unfair to lambast the duo, considering what they have achieved in the past. "We are talking about our greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, we are saying very bad things about them," Yuvraj told news agency PTI.
"...people forget what they have achieved in the past. They are one of the greatest cricketers of this time. Okay, they lost, they did not play good cricket. They are getting hurt more than us," he added.
Having been the finalists in the last two World Test Championship (WTC) finals, Rohit's India were one of the favourites alongwith Australia to make it to the summit clash for the third time.
In fact, India were right on track till the Bangladesh series at home with they won 2-0. The Indian team then needed just four wins out of their remaining eight Tests to make it to the WTC final.
However, a 0-3 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand at home jeopardised India's plans and strategies. At the end, India slipped out of the race for WTC final with South African squeezing in to make their maiden appearance. They will play Australia in the final at Lord's.
According to the former southpaw, losing at home against New Zealand was a bigger low for Indian cricket than their BGT loss. "According to me, losing (to) New Zealand is more hurting (sic). Because they are losing 3-0 at home. You know, that is not acceptable.
"This (losing BGT) is still acceptable because you have won two times in Australia. And this time you lost," Yuvraj said, before adding “Australia has been a dominant side for the last so many years, that is my thought.”
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