"Has to stop his senseless antics" - Australian legend offers Virat Kohli advise to help overcome his struggles after BGT 2024-25

Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell has called for Virat Kohli to stop 'senseless tactics' to regain form after a disappointing Test tour Down Under. With India set to tour England later this year, Chappell reckons the veteran cricketer's experience will be integral in the UK.

The former Indian captain making shoulder contact with Aussie opener Sam Konstas on Day 1 in Melbourne proved to be one of the talking points as he copped a hefty penalty for the same. It coincided with his barren series with the bat as the tourists lost the series 1-3.

In his column for the ESPN Cricinfo, the veteran commentator warned that if Kohli and Rohit Sharma retire, India will face massive voids in their Test side. He wrote:

"Virat Kohli's experience in the UK would be invaluable, and of the two problematic players he's the most likely to be resuscitated. However, his consistency needs to improve in addition to dispensing valuable advice to younger players. He also has to stop his senseless antics like shouldering Konstas in the MCG Test. If Kohli does decide to retire from Test cricket, the loss of both him and Rohit would leave a huge gap in the line-up for a tough tour."

Having first toured Australia in the 2011-12 leg to play Tests, the right-hander endured his worst series. Although he scored an unbeaten 100 in the second innings in Perth, the remaining eight instances yielded only 90 more runs without a fifty.

Ian Chappell places Rohit Sharma on notice along with Virat Kohli

Ian Chappell (Image Credits: Getty)

Chappell also opined that Rohit remains massively doubtful for the England tour and that his absence leaves India with multiple holes. The 81-year-old added:

"The soon-to-be-38-year-old Rohit, facing a crammed five-Test series against England in a few months, is a doubtful quantity. Although India are extremely reluctant to part with star players, lately Rohit has struggled technically and his absence would provide uncertainty over the opening position and the captaincy. KL Rahul is a decent opening alternative but the captaincy provides a bigger headache whenever Jasprit Bumrah is unavailable."

Team India also missed out on the World Test Championship (WTC) final after reaching there the first two times. Australia and South Africa will play in the WTC final next year.