Ex Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has pointed out that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s lack of match practice was the reason for their poor performance in the first ODI against Australia at Perth. On his YouTube channel, Pathan mentioned that the team’s strong batting line-up also had an effect, but he still put the focus on the fact that “processes need to be completed no matter how big a player you are”.

In fact, both Rohit and Virat, who were last seen wearing Indian colors during the ICC Champions Trophy in March, failed in Perth as they made 8 and 0 respectively. Though they were a part of the IPL from April to June, they were severely limited in terms of playing time due to their retirements from Tests and T20Is, as a result of which they did not take part in the England five-Test tour, the T20I Asia Cup, and India’s home series against West Indies.

Match fitness is crucial: Irfan Pathan praises Rishabh Pant

Irfan Pathan praised Rishabh Pant for taking proactive steps to regain form, playing against South Africa A ahead of the Proteas’ tour of India in November. “Pant, who is a match-winner in Tests, could have jumped straight into the Indian team, but he chose to play for India ‘A’ to ensure proper match fitness. That’s exactly how it should happen,” Pathan. said.

He explained that the lack of recent competitive cricket meant Rohit, Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer had fallen behind in match readiness. “Even though they worked hard, match fitness and normal fitness are two different things. If they had played some matches before returning, the team management could have made more balanced selections, perhaps including Kuldeep Yadav,” Pathan added.

Iyer, who did not feature in Tests or T20Is after leading Punjab Kings to the IPL final, managed game time through the Duleep Trophy and Australia A’s tour of India for India A. Though he struggled in red-ball formats, he scored a century and a fifty each in three ODIs against Australia A as captain.

Pant is set to make his competitive comeback as India A captain, leading the team against South Africa A in a four-day match starting October 30. He will play both matches before the Test series begins in mid-November, ensuring full match readiness.