Virat Kohli of India during the 2nd ODI match between Australia and India at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia, on October 23, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)Former cricketer Shreevats Goswami on Monday said that in an ideal situation, Virat Kohli should have left ODIs and continued playing Test cricket. Goswami said this on a day when the Indian batters capitulated against South Africa in the second Test at Guwahati when they were skittled out for 201 runs in their first innings while chasing 489.
“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 condition,” Goswami said on his X profile.
“The winning mentality & that fire which was there under Virat Kohli feels missing in this team,” he had added in an earlier post.
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
Earlier this year, Kohli brought down the curtains on a prolific red-ball career, spanning 14 years and 123 Tests. With 9230 runs in 210 innings, Kohli stands fourth on the all-time charts among Indian batters, only behind the legendary trio of Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13,265), and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) with 9230 runs at a 46.85 average.
In the match, after taking a 288-run first innings lead, South Africa were 26 for no loss in their second essay at stumps on Day 3 as the visitors took control of the second Test against India.
Openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram were batting on 13 and 12 respectively at the end of the day’s play. South Africa faced eight overs in the final session after dismissing India for 201 in 83.5 overs in their first innings.
The winning mentality & that fire which was there under Virat Kohli feels missing in this team. #INDVSSA
— Shreevats goswami (@shreevats1) November 24, 2025
The Proteas, who had made 489 in their first innings, are now 314 runs ahead overall with two days left in the Test. The visitors had won the first Test by 30 runs in Kolkata.
In India’s first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
Four Indian wickets tumbled in the opening session, reaching 102 for 4 at tea. Three more Indian batters fell in the second session.
Washington and Kuldeep Yadav (19 off 134 balls) gave a stubborn resistance after India were reduced to 122 for 7 in the second session, stitching a 72-run partnership for the eighth wicket before the former was out.
South Africa then wrapped up the two remaining Indian wickets easily. Kuldeep was out after the Proteas took the new ball in the final session of the day.
Marco Jansen was the wrecker in chief with figures of 6/48 while Simon Harmer took three wickets for 64 runs.
At lunch, India were struggling at 174 for 7 in 67 overs. KL Rahul (22), Sai Sudharsan (15), Dhruv Jurel (0), captain Rishabh Pant (7), Ravindra Jadeja (6) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (10) fell cheaply.
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