Kohli’s absence felt as India’s Test troubles deepen
India’s familiar batting woes returned in Guwahati, and with it came renewed scrutiny of the team’s leadership in the longest format. As South Africa tightened their grip on the second Test with a commanding all-round display, former RCB wicketkeeper-batter Shreevats Goswami took to social media to stir a debate that refuses to go away — has India truly moved on from the Virat Kohli era in red-ball cricket?
India collapsed for just 201 in reply to South Africa’s mammoth 489, before the visitors ended Day 3 at 26 for no loss, building a daunting 314-run lead. It was the kind of capitulation that used to be rare during Kohli’s tenure — a period marked by grit, intensity, and belief. Goswami, watching this unravel, made his stance clear in a now-viral post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Ideally Virat should have left playing ODIs & continued playing Test cricket until he had nothing to give. Test cricket misses him. Not just as a player but just the energy he brought, the love & passion playing for India where he made the team believe that they can win in any condition,” Goswami said in a tweet.
Ideally Virat should have left playing ODIs & continued playing test cricket untill he had nothing to give. Test cricket misses him. Not just as a player but just the energy he brought, the love & passion playing for 🇮🇳 where he made the team believe that they can win in any…
— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) November 24, 2025
The sentiment landed at a time when India’s red-ball form looks alarmingly inconsistent. Since Kohli’s retirement from Tests earlier this year, the team has already suffered four home losses in six matches. The spark that once defined India’s dominance appears increasingly dim.
Goswami followed up his post with another pointed observation about the current team environment. “The winning mentality & that fire which was there under Virat Kohli feels missing in this team. #INDVSSA” he said in a tweet.
The winning mentality & that fire which was there under Virat Kohli feels missing in this team. #INDVSSA
— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) November 24, 2025
Kohli’s last Test appearance came in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year, and though he scored an unbeaten century in the series opener, he opted to step away from the red-ball format before the England series that followed. While he remains active in white-ball cricket — including the upcoming ODI series against South Africa — voices like Goswami’s suggest that India may be missing his leadership most in the format where it once thrived.
With another home defeat now all but certain, the void left by Virat Kohli — and whether he exited red-ball cricket too soon — looms larger than ever.
