Won't be easy for Virat-Rohit to play only ODIs: Kumble
Mumbai: To many Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's decision to extend their ODI careers, the only format they will continue to play international cricket is a curious one.
Earlier this month, within days of each other, Kohli and Sharma ended their Test career. Last year, both the senior batters had retired from T20I cricket after helping India lift the 2024 World Cup.
'They are both great players. But it will not be easy to do what they need to do, which is to just play ODIs which are five months down the line. No matter who you are and how well you have played in your careers,' Anil Kumble, former India captain said in a fireside chat to mark Australia's summer of 2024-25 on Monday.
Part of the reason experts are skeptical about sticking only to ODI cricket is how spaced out the bilateral ODI calendar is. The Indian team is scheduled to play three ODIs in Bangladesh in August, three in Australia in October and three at home against South Africa in December. Besides, the entire focus in the white-ball calendar, next year will be on the T20I World Cup in India. The next ODI World Cup in Africa is more than two years away.
'Ideally, they would like to play the 2027 World Cup. We saw Australia winning the 2023 World Cup against India. But it will be difficult. It will not be easy; where you are preparing only for ODIs because there are not too many ODI matches.' Kumble added.
Recently, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir was non-committal when asked about Kohli-Sharma's ambition to play the next ODI cricket.
'Shubman will look to create his legacy'
Kohli and Sharma's Test retirement saw 190 Test match experience taken away from the Indian team sheet in the upcoming series against England. Kumble expressed confidence that selectors' leap of faith in the young Shubman Gill as captain will pay off.
'Captaining India will be different from captaining for franchise or in state cricket. It comes with its own responsibility and pressure. But I am sure Shubman is capable,' the former captain said.
'And transitions are bound to happen. Without the three pillars of Indian cricket over a long period of time – Kohli, Sharma and R Ashwin, it will be difficult for us as fans, not to see those three names. But it's something the dressing room will get used to over a period of time. It is a start for a young team in a new cycle and the current team will will look to hold the trophy. Shubman will look to create that kind of legacy,' he added.
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Apart from one's own preferences, differing playing conditions, the quality of the opposition and advancements in technology in different eras make comparisons among greats a hazardous exercise. One has also to calibrate and grade the variables of the sport – performance statistics, technical skills, leadership qualities, et al. On top of it all, what has the sportsperson done to make the world a better place? Fortified with these caveats, I feel emboldened to weigh in on a comparative study of two cricketing greats who are the sporting icons of India – Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Who is the better of the two? For sheer run-making prowess, Tendulkar is unmatched – miles nay thousands of runs ahead of Kohli and the rest. In 200 Tests, he scored 15921 runs at an average of 53.38 with 51 centuries whereas Kohli in 123 Tests scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.83 with 30 hundreds. In 452 ODIs, Tendulkar accumulated 18426 runs with 49 hundreds and an average of 44.83. By comparison, in 290 ODIs Kohli scored 14181 runs with 51 hundreds at an awesome average of 57.88, easily the more accomplished ODI performer. I have intentionally excluded T20 cricket stats from this analysis as the shortest form of the game is, as the legendary Michael Holding observed, a mere cartoon version of the real deal. As bare statistics don't tell the whole truth, a bit of nuance to the debate is imperative. Going by total runs scored in Tests, Sachin is the greatest ever batsman who has lived, but when you consider his career average of 53.4 compared with Bradman's average of 99.4, and more recently, his peer – Kumar Sangakkara's career average of 57.58, there's good reason to pause before assigning his rightful place in the pantheon of greats! Coming to the Tendulkar-Kohli contest, my utter admiration for Kohli was sparked by his pyrotechnics in the first Test against Australia at Adelaide in 2014. The formidable Aussies held all the cards, declaring in both innings and setting India the impossible target of scoring 361 runs on the final day. Kohli, following up on his first innings century, single handedly took India to the brink of victory with a sublime 141 runs of silken grace and power, but the collapse of the last seven wickets for 58 runs resulted in India losing by 45 runs. No Indian before or since has played such a masterful, dominant innings abroad. It was as great an innings as Brian Lara's immortal 153 not out against Australia in 1999 but is unremembered as history cares little for losing teams. How have Tendulkar and Kohli's individual brilliance impacted their teams? While my method of evaluation based on centuries scored in team wins is admittedly simplistic, it is a pointer, nevertheless. Of Tendulkar's 51 Test centuries, 20 resulted in the team winning – a win percentage of 21.56. Six of these victories were against minnows – Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. In ODIs, 33 of his 49 centuries spurred his team to victory – a 67.35 win percentage. In contrast, 14 of Kohli's 30 Test centuries helped fashion the team's success – a win percentage of 46.6%. In ODIs, 43 of the 51 centuries scored by the undisputed 'chase king' ensured his team's victory – a phenomenal 84.31 win percentage. Also read: Adding Colour to The Whites What's noteworthy is that while Sachin is ahead in run accumulation, Virat has won many more games for India. This is clearly because they have approached the game differently – Tendulkar was focussed on personal milestones whereas Kohli's single intent has been on winning games for India. Who can forget Sachin's ignominious crawl as he neared his landmark hundredth century in international cricket, because of which we lost that ODI match to Bangladesh at Mirpur in 2012! In a team sport like cricket, greatness is measured not only on individual excellence but other factors like leadership that are integral to the success of a team. Tendulkar was an absolute disaster as Test and ODI captain with a 16 %-win average in 25 Tests and 31.5% in ODIs. In contrast, Kohli has been India's most successful Test and ODI captain. In Tests, India won 40 of the 68 Tests that he captained, a 58.8%-win average which is also the fourth highest of all Test captains in history. He has won 65 out of 95 ODIs as captain, a 68.42-win average. And not to forget, in 2018-19, he broke the seemingly impregnable glass ceiling when he led his team to a series win against Australia in Australia for the first time, as momentous a feat as India's maiden triumphs in the West Indies and England in 1971. Greg Chappell has rightly hailed Kohli as the most transformative figure in Indian cricket 'in terms of cultural influence and psychological impact on India's cricket identity.' 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