Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have become the cynosure of India's embarrassing Test series loss at home against New Zealand, which marked the end of a historic 12-year dominance. Their returns with the bat in both matches have been a major concern, as most experts reckoned that they should have gone back to domestic cricket at the start of India's Test calendar for the ongoing season last month, while former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh reckoned that the upcoming Test series against Australia could mark the end of their career in the format.

Kohli scored just 88 runs in the two matches against New Zealand so far, comprising one fifty and one dismissal for a duck. His average of 22 in the series is currently his worst against an opposition (at least two matches) at home since the 2016/17 series against Australia, where he had averaged just 9.2 after managing 46 runs in five innings.

For Rohit, it has been more concerning because, for the second consecutive time, he has averaged well below 15 in a home Test series where he has played at least two matches. After scoring just 27 runs in the Bangladesh contest last month, averaging 13.50, the India captain amassed 62 runs so far against New Zealand at 15.50.

Amid the forgettable batting figures, Harbhajan, speaking to PTI, reckoned that India are nearing a transition, which could happen following the Australia tour next month, if the team fail to make the World Test Championship final.

"Not immediately, as you have a big Australia series and WTC final at stake. But yes, this Australia series will be a make or break for many in the team," he said.

'No one is irreplaceable'

Virat Kohli and Rohit have been modern-era batting greats, much like Sachin Tendulkar was at his time, preceded by Sunil Gavaskar. But Harbhajan reckoned that India have been able to find an apt replacement for these superstars over time, thus detesting the theory that certain players can't be replaced.

"Kaun kehta hai bharpai naahi hoti. Bharpai bilkul hoti hai. Gavaskar saab gaye, Tendulkar saab aaye, Tendulkar saab gaye, humein Kohli mila aur bhavishya mein bhi aisa hoga. (Who says you can't get replacements? You got replacements in past and you will get in future). The game will move on and we will get replacements."

Are there enough talents in domestic cricket?

"Of course there's talent in domestic cricket. How did you get Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and now Sarfaraz Khan. It is from domestic cricket only. It is about getting right opportunities at right time.

"If you get chance at right time, you can become Virat Kohli or else you could be Amol Mujumdar or Amarjeet Kaypee," said the man with 700 international wickets.

"It took Virat 15 years to become what he has become. So you need to look at the talent and may be have an idea that, yes, this boy, if persisted with, can become a match-winner for a decade.

"When we were playing, we heard that Rohit is an enormous talent. How did people know? Because of domestic cricket, and even after first few years of inconsistency, the system backed him. So we will get replacements."

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