Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have come under severe criticism for their flop show in the recently held Test series against New Zealand, which India lost 0-3 at home.
While Kohli managed to amass only 93 runs in six innings at an abysmal average of 15.50, Rohit returned with 91 runs at 15.17.
With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy around the corner, the form of these two stalwarts has become a major concern. India would hope they return to scoring ways when the five-Test series gets underway on November 22 in Perth.
Meanwhile, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has backed Kohli and Rohit to regain form in Australia, saying that the conditions Down Under will favour the star batters more than the spin-friendly conditions back home.
"Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be thinking 'it's good. we are going to play in a home away from home'. They were struggling a lot on turning pitches. Facing pace and bounce is not a problem for Rohit Sharma. If you have seen Virat Kohli in South Africa the last time India toured there, he was looking like India's best player. For him, there will be a sigh of relief. It's a home away from home for them," Manjrekar told Star Sports.
Virat Kohli relishes playing in Australia and has played some of his best knocks Down Under. In 25 Test innings on Australian soil, the right-hander has amassed 1352 runs at an average of 54.08 with six hundreds and four half-centuries.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma will have his task cut out. The India skipper, who is likely to miss the series opener due to personal reasons, averages 31.38 in Australia with three fifties across seven Tests.
"Rohit Sharma will not be there in the first. For him, it will be a bit of a break (from scrutiny). Because of his absence, the team will be a bit more lighter," Manjrekar said.
The marquee series is slated to get underway on November 22 in Perth and the action will then shift to Adelaide (December 6-10), where both teams will face each other in a Day-Night Test. The last three Tests are set to take place in Brisbane (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30), and Sydney (January 3-7).
