Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar feels the clock is ticking for all the players who were part of the home Test series whitewash to New Zealand and even more so for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as well. However, Team India lost their first home Test series in over a decade and faced a whitewash at home for the first time in a series with three or more matches as well.

Gavaskar told India Today: “It’s ticking for everybody. It’s not just them. But, because they are in their 30s, mid-30s, it will be tougher for them than the guys in the early 20s or early 30s. But, the clock is ticking for everybody. Which is why I say, the more you are playing, the more you will be prepared to meet the demands of modern-day cricket.”

“It’s just one of those rarities where both these stalwarts have not been able to make significant contributions. Something like this… look, a bad patch comes to everybody. Sometimes, a couple of bad patches can happen. that’s what sporting life is all about. But, how you come back from those bad patches tell how good a player you are and your character as a sports person. What we are going to see in Australia is really going to be interesting. What we are going to see in Australia will determine the future of the Test team. Definitely yes. If they don’t score runs in Australia, there will be a clamor for a new-look Indian team to start from the tour of England,” he again stated.

Despite the horrific home series defeat to New Zealand, Sunil Gavaskar backed Team India to bounce back strongly in the Australia series as well.

“This team has that character. We all saw how India bounced back against England after losing the first Test earlier this year. It probably will take a long time to unravel to put my head around it,” concluded Sunil Gavaskar.