Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are going through a lean patch lately.
Kohli began the marquee series with a second innings hundred (100*) at Perth, but he managed to amass only 90 runs in his other eight innings combined.
On the other hand, Rohit was all over the place in the marquee series, managing just 31 runs in five innings at an abysmal average of 6.20 -- the lowest by a touring captain on Australian soil.
The subpar performances of these senior players drew considerable criticism, with many calling for their retirement from Test cricket.
Kohli and Rohit will return to action for India during the ODI series against England, starting on February 6 in Nagpur. The three ODIs are seen as a final dress rehearsal for the ICC Champions Trophy next month.
Ahead of the England series, India’s new batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed how he will help the star duo to regain form.
“See, Rohit and Virat are very senior players, but even the players we have now, it is a lot more about sharing, a lot to try and understand how they are planning their games, where they think and then if we can add something, that is how I think,” Kotak told reporters ahead of India’s third T20I against England in Rajkot.
“If I can add value to 2%, 5%, that is a great thing, because the amount of cricket they have played and the way they have performed, it would not be unfair to say there might be a lot of things that I can also learn from them. That is the way this game goes, you have to be open and you have to be ready to learn,” he added.
Kotak clarified that if he had any suggestions about their batting in his mind, he would speak to them at the right time.
“If they are in a mindset, during that point of time, if they are ready to take any inputs, yes, I would have certain things in my mind and I will say it, but it has to be at the right time and they should feel that yes, they are ready for that,” the 52-year-old said.
Meanwhile, Sitanshu Kotak attributed Suryakumar Yadav's dry run in the last few months to huge expectations and his keenness to play fearless cricket.
“Sometimes, I feel (that) we also expect a lot. The game has become so aggressive and that is the intent (with which) we have to play T20. There will be a time when the batters will get out because they are playing fearless and selfless (cricket), because if you want to score 200, 225 and if you are careful and trying to save your wicket, both the things won't go hand in hand. So, he is definitely a person who is playing for the team. He is very, very selfless and that is what he is telling the whole group of batters that we have to be selfless,” Kotak explained.
“The way he is batting, he is in the same flow as he was before, I think. Nothing (wrong with his batting) really I would say that. But yes, plan-wise, the opposition will try and plan to bowl in some areas and obviously we read that, and he is very smart. So, he comes up with things which he knows we can add something and according to that, he keeps practicing. I don't really think that his form or runs have been dry or anything,” he further remarked.