'AUS series is crucial for Team India': Kohli, Rohit issue warning; Harbhajan suggests 'transition' after disappointing batting display against NZ

Kohli's performance against New Zealand in the first two matches has been disappointing, with only scoring 88 runs. This includes one fifty but also a dismissal for a duck. With an average of just 22 in the series, this is his worst performance against an opposition (with at least two matches) at home since the 2016/17 series against Australia. During that series, he only managed to score 46 runs in five innings, resulting in an average of just 9.2.

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.

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."