If India loses the five-Test series against England, Michael Clarke, the former captain of Australia, thinks Virat Kohli might decide to come out of Test retirement. Clarke stated on Friday that Kohli "loves" Test cricket and would think about making such a U-turn if asked by the BCCI selectors and new captain Shubman Gill.

After hanging up his T20I boots in 2024, Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket this month. Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Shami, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara will all be absent from Gill's new-look team in transition.

India last won a series in England in 2007; thus, history is against the visiting team, even though the hosts are not playing at their best due to a few injury issues.

“I believe this. If India goes to England and gets flogged, if they lose the series 5-0, for example, I think the fans will want Virat Kohli to come out of retirement and play Test cricket again.

And I honestly think if he was asked by the captain and selectors and supported by fans, if they get beaten big time in England, I think he’ll come. He still loves Test cricket. I think his words, I think those words, like, you could hear his passion for Test cricket is real,” Clarke said on the Beyond23 Cricket podcast, as quoted by news agency PTI.

While India will miss Rohit's leadership skills in England, Clarke stated that Test cricket as a whole would miss the "champion" Kohli. Additionally, even though he believes that India can still compete without Rohit and Kohli, he believes that the latter's time in the format may not be over yet.

“He (Virat) sees it as the pinnacle, and he’s still playing good enough cricket. He definitely made the decision to retire, and whatever his reasons are, everybody comes to that time in their career.

If that’s the case, then so be it. But if they don’t perform, if they get beaten, like I say, 5-0 in England, which I don’t think they will. I think they can still win in England, even without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. I think this Indian squad is a good squad," said Clarke, who captained Australia in Tests and ODIs between 2011 and 2015.