Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket days after his longtime teammate and captain Rohit Sharma did the same. The veteran pair bow out of the longest format of the game with just over a month left for India’s five-Test tour of England and all-rounder Moeen Ali has stated that while this may help England competitively, Kohli’s retirement in particular is a “massive blow” for Test cricket in general.
“Definitely, I think it’s a massive boost for England. Two top players who’ve been to England a few times on tour, so they have experience,” said Moeen on Sky Sports. Both Rohit and Kohli have had their times of peril and glory in whites in England. Kohli had a famously forgettable series in 2014 before plundering runs in 2018. Rohit put in what is rated as the best performance of his Test career in India’s 2021 tour of the country.
“I remember Rohit playing really well the last time they were in England. The character they have, the leaders they (are), both of them have captained India in Test cricket, so yeah a massive loss for the team,” said Moeen, who retired from international cricket in September last year.
Kohli announced his retirement on Monday, thus bringing the curtains down on a glorious career and finishing as India’s fourth-highest Test run scorer. “It’s (Kohli’s retirement) a massive blow to Test cricket. He was the one pioneer, the one guy in Test cricket that always pushed the format. Amazing player, amazing career.
“He has done enough. He’s done so much for the game itself, especially in India. I think after Sachin (Tendulkar), he was the guy everybody comes to watch and he filled out stadiums. Amazing record, a brilliant player to watch as well. The style he played with (was) very competitive and a brilliant captain as well. A big blow to Test cricket,” said Moeen.
