As India gear up for their five-Test series against England beginning June 20 in Leeds, former England great Geoffrey Boycott has weighed in strongly on the absence of two Indian stalwarts – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – calling Kohli’s retirement a bigger blow.In his column for The Daily Telegraph, Boycott wrote, “The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hurts the chances of India beating England. Kohli is the biggest loss as he has been their best batsman and talisman in all three formats.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While acknowledging Rohit’s contributions, Boycott said the former captain “won’t be missed as much as Kohli,” citing Rohit’s inconsistent Test form in the last couple of years. “Rohit was never a natural athlete like Kohli… the wear and tear of opening the innings and being captain in all three formats wore him down,” he added.
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Both players retired from Test cricket in May, leaving significant voids in India’s lineup – particularly in the top order and at No. 4.Turning attention to the hosts, Boycott had a word of caution for Ben Stokes and Co., fresh off a Test win over Zimbabwe. He warned that England must moderate their aggressive “Bazball” approach if they are to dominate a transition-phase Indian team.
“England should beat India if they temper Bazball and use some common sense,” Boycott wrote. “It’s no use telling us how good you are when you haven’t made a single WTC final at home. They should be embarrassed.”Calling England a “one-trick-pony,” Boycott urged, “Being a winner is better than being known as an entertainer… Bring your best game and apply some cricket nous.”
