Gambhir makes it clear that he wants Test hopefuls to take domestic cricket seriously, and play the Ranji Trophy if they are not committed elsewhere

India contemplated Test cricket without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on Monday after the star duo again failed to fire in the bruising series defeat to Australia. With out-of-form skipper Rohit missing, the visitors went down by six wickets in the fifth and final Test on Sunday in Sydney to lose the series 3-1.

India coach Gautam Gambhir said veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still have a future in the team if they want it, despite disappointing returns on the test tour of Australia.

"I think the next 8–10 days are crucial for Indian cricket to take a good, honest look at itself," former captain Sunil Gavaskar told news channel India Today.

India contemplated Test cricket without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on Monday after the star duo again failed to fire in the bruising series defeat to Australia.

After dominating the series for over a decade, India lost the Border-Gavaksar Trophy to Australia for the first time since 2014. One of the biggest reasons behind India’s 1-3 defeat in the five-match series was the flop performances of two of the senior-most batters – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.