Australian skipper Pat Cummins rates Virat Kohli as a great competitor who makes the game lively with his theatrics and he will be “sad” if the latest Border-Gavaskar trophy does end up being the Indian superstar’s last tour Down Under.

Following the hundred in the series opener in Perth, Kohli’s troubles outside the off-stump compounded as he was caught in the slip cordon eight times over the course of five Tests.

The tour that got over on Sunday is likely to be Kohli’s last.

“It’s always been a a wonderful contest. More than just the runs that he scored, he brings a bit of theatre to the game which is sometimes good and sometimes it can rile you up as an opposition, which I’m sure is part of his plans,” Cummins said in a response to a PTI query after the six wicket win in Sydney.

“Really enjoyed playing with him. He’s been one of the the star batters for the last decade or so. If you get his wicket it goes a long way to winning a game. So yeah, it will be sad if it’s his last series.”

Cummins did admit that Bumrah’s absence on the final day of the series did help them, considering he took 32 wickets in the series.

“Every time he (Bumrah) bowled he seemed to have an impact and took some key wickets. So yeah, no doubt that (his absence) helped our chase a little bit.”

Although he termed it as Indian team’s internal matter, Cummins was a touch surprised with Rohit Sharma’s decision to drop himself from the playing eleven on account of poor form.

“I think you’re always surprised when the captain kind of doesn’t play. And you know, same with Ashwin retiring, but honestly it doesn’t really affect us at all.

“You just turn up and you see who’s going to be on the team sheet and you play whoever eleven they put out there. Honestly, it’s been very little conversation I’ve chatted with him about what’s going on there,” Cummins said.

He termed the win against India as “huge” in the context of the Indo-Australia bilaterals, having lost twice at home previously.

“No, it’s a huge win in the context of this series. It’s as big a series as you get to play at home. It felt like it was kind of see-sawing throughout the whole series. So to finish it 3-1 to hold the trophy is an amazing feeling,” Cummins said.

“…… and I think the extra layer is now securing a spot in the World Test Championship Final which was always a huge goal for us in this cycle.”

He has been a part of T20 World Cup winning squad, won the 50-over World Cup, World Test Championship mace and Ashes as the skipper and now the India series that his predecessor Tim Paine had lost twice.

When he was asked if he has any succession plan in place, he sidestepped the issue.

“First of all I just absolutely love what I do. So, I mean that’s probably the biggest driver in wanting to play Test Cricket and work with this team and support staff.”

So does he feel that he has done it all?

“Unfortunately, I have got to keep playing. We’ll stay on this side guys and then we’ll come over here,” he smiled.

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday urged Indian batters to play in the Ranji Trophy without offering any excuses to iron out technical deficiencies that led to their peril in two successive series against New Zealand and Australia.

Gavaskar said it was worrying to see the Indian batters churning out underwhelming efforts against New Zealand at home and in the just-concluded series against Australia Down Under.

India succumbed to the Kiwis 0-3 before surrendering to the Aussies 1-3.

“On January 23, there is the next round of the Ranji Trophy. Let’s see how many players from this squad play. There should be no excuse for not being able to play,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“If you do not play those matches, Gautam Gambhir will have to take a few tough decisions against those who are not available for the Ranji Trophy,” he added.

“Gambhir should be saying: ‘you do not have that commitment. We need commitment. You are not playing. Whatever you want to do, do it. But for Indian cricket, you cannot return to the Test squad.”

Gavaskar said flaws have crept into Indian batsmen’s approach because of not playing domestic cricket on available opportunities.

“What I saw were technical deficiencies. If you have been making the same mistakes, and I am not just talking about this series. I am talking about the New Zealand series as well that did you do against New Zealand in India?”

Gavaskar said domestic cricket assumes importance in view of the upcoming 2025-2027 WTC cycle.

“And that’s why, now, because the next cycle will start in June, we have not qualified for the World Test Championship. From now on, we should be ready for it. If we have to take tough decisions, then we will have to take them,” he said.

With the next WTC cycle in focus, Gavaskar said India should now focus more on young cricketers such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

“They are hungry to earn a name for India and themselves. Such players are needed. You need such players who will protect their wicket like their life,” he noted.

“That’s why I’m interested that on January 23, in the Ranji Trophy matches, who will play? I want to see that.”

“Because at that time, there will be T20 matches against England. But those who are not playing T20, will they play Ranji Trophy matches or not?” he said.

Lambasting Virat Kohli for neither playing domestic cricket nor working hard to iron out the technical flaws in his game, former pacer Irfan Pathan on Sunday questioned star batter’s place in the side and called for an end to the superstar culture in the Indian team.

Kohli and Rohit Sharma were woefully out of form during the just-concluded Test series against Australia. The 1-3 defeat resulted in team losing out on qualifying for the World Test Championship final.

Kohli could manage only 190 runs in his nine innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, repeatedly offering edges to the slip cordon or keeper.

“We need to end superstar culture, we need team culture. You need to improve yourself and improve the Indian team. There were matches before this series, too, and they had an opportunity to play domestic cricket, but they didn’t. We need to change that culture,” Pathan told Star Sports.

The former all-rounder said even the great Sachin Tendulkar played Ranji Trophy even when it wasn’t required of him only because he wanted to spend that much time — four or five days — on the pitch
“When was the last time Virat Kohli played domestic cricket? (the host points out that Kohli’s last first-class appearance for Delhi was in 2012) It has been more than a decade.”

Pathan went to the extent of saying that maybe Kohli’s place should be given to a youngster, given that he has averaged less than 30 in first innings in the last five years.

“For the Indian team in 2024, in the first innings where you basically set up the match, Virat Kohli’s average is 15. And if you consider his average over the last five years, it’s not even 30.

“Does the Indian team deserve its senior player? Instead, give a youngster a chance. Tell him to get ready. He will also give an average of 25–30. This is about the team, not the individuals.”

Pathan also questioned if Kohli was even serious to improve.

When we talk about Virat Kohli, he has done a lot for India. He has delivered many performances. But you are getting out from the same mistake again and again.

“You are not creating a gap between two mistakes. You are not trying to fix the technical mistake. Sunny sir is in the field. How long does it take to talk to Sunny Sir or someone?”

Australia beat India by six wickets in the fifth and final Test to regain the Border Gavaskar trophy series.