The Border Gavaskar Trophy can serve as the era of redemption for three stalwarts of the game. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Steve Smith are all approaching the twilight of their career, and Greg Chappell has found out how the veteran trio can rediscover the glory of their youth.
It remains to be seen if Rohit Sharma will be available for the Perth Test of the IND vs AUS Test series. But questions have been raised about the form of both Rohit and Virat Kohli for their lackluster form in recent times. Last week India was handed a humiliating 3-0 defeat at home by New Zealand which has greatly foiled their plans of automatically qualifying for the WTC Finals.
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What lies in store for Veteran Trio?
Greg Chappell went on to write that the veteran trio are currently in their mid-30s. Since this series is of utmost importance, he went on to claim that the trio will need to adapt to the mental and physical demands of Test ball cricket. He explained that the trio are no longer young and thus need to adjust their ways.
“These players, all in their mid-30s, find themselves on the cusp of a defining moment. Having dominated the game in their prime, they now face the unique challenges that come with age and experience in a young man’s sport. This series will likely be determined not by raw skill alone, but by how these three veterans adapt to the physical and mental demands of Test cricket in the twilight of their careers,” Greg Chappell wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald.
These are tough times for Rohit and Virat Kohli with the expectation of the entire country rising through the roof after their poor form in red-ball cricket. As for Steve Smith, things aren’t much easier. Smith recently experimented to open in Test cricket after the retirement of David Warner. But now he is back at his original number 4 spot for the upcoming Test series and plans on playing at that spot.
“The transition into one’s 30s brings a set of challenges that every cricketer confronts. Test cricket, in particular, is an unforgiving format, requiring intense focus, acute mental clarity and robust physical endurance over extended periods. A younger player often focuses solely on scoring runs, unburdened by overthinking pitch conditions, match situation or their own weaknesses,” Chappell wrote.
“However, with age and experience, a player becomes highly conversant about their strengths, vulnerabilities and the game’s finer nuances,” he concluded.
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