Amid Retirement Claims, Report Says Virat Kohli Wants To Play Till This Tournament

Has the world seen the last of Virat Kohli in Test cricket, or will he be able to revive his career and enjoy a second wind? The flag-bearer of Indian batting since the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli yelled at himself and punched his thigh, as he got out for the eighth time edging to the slip cordon or keeper in his nine visits to the crease in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The 36-year-old's career was hanging by a thread after he once again fell victim to a back-of-length delivery on a sixth-stump line on the second day of the fifth and final Test against Australia, the bowler being the self-effacing but relentless Scott Boland.

His problems seem unsolvable at the moment as it is more mental than technical.

The sameness in the mode of his dismissals mean it has become his second nature to "fish" at deliveries on the corridor of uncertainty.

Kohli batted in nine innings across five Tests and barring the second innings century at Perth in the opening Test, and a 36 in the first innings in Melbourne, he has failed to get going.

Remove the 136 runs he had aggregated over his two innings in Perth and Melbourne, and Kohli is left with just 54 runs across his seven other completed knocks.

For a champion player, it is very difficult to take a decision when he is going through his career's all-time lowest phase.

It is understood that Kohli is in no mood to retire and wants to play for India till the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has been constantly saying that the right-hander would continue.

But an ex-national selector looked at the situation differently. He asked how Kohli plans to convince the selectors for the England tour in June without playing any tangible red-ball cricket.

"It would be