Australian media channel, Fox Cricket, who were one of the official broadcasters for the ODI series between Pakistan and Australia, dropped the poster for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series during the live coverage of the third and final match of the contest. However, the absence of India captain Rohit Sharma from the poster sparked an internet furore.

Fox Cricket will be airing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy proceedings during the Australian summer Down Under and hence decided to remind their viewers of the upcoming mouth-watering clash that awaits both heavyweights. However, while it had the mugshot of Australia skipper Pat Cummins on one side, it had the face of former India captain Virat Kohli on the other side, as opposed to incumbent leader Rohit.

The media channel's act might down to garnering most attention from the Indian fans in Australia and even the Aussies, given Kohli's exploits Down Under. In 13 appearances in Australia in the traditional format, Kohli smashed 1352 runs at 54.08, with six tons and four fifties. His best show in Australia came in the 2014/15 series, when he had scored 692 runs at 86.50. It was the same tour when Kohli was elevated to Test captaincy role midway trough the contest after MS Dhoni's sudden retirement from the format.

The poster immediately went viral on social media as fans on the internet went on overdrive. Here are some of the reactions…

A crucial test awaits Kohli, Rohit

Kohli and Rohit have struggled to find their rhythm in the recently-concluded home campaign of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. Kohli managed just 93 runs in the series against New Zealand, where India suffered a humiliating 0-3 loss against New Zealand, averaging just 15.50, his worst in a home contest in seven years. Moreover, the series further highlighted his growing vulnerability against spin on Asian soil.

For Rohit, it was a back-to-back batting debacle. After managing just 42 runs in two Tests against Bangladesh, the captain scored 37 runs against the Kiwis, both featuring among his worst performances on home soil.

Following the performances, which left their career at stake, most experts claimed that the impending Australia tour could be a make-or-break series for the two senior batters.

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