As India prepares for their much-anticipated five-match Test series against Australia, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has raised concerns about the form of India’s two key batting stalwarts – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Speaking on the SportifyWithPRG show, Manjrekar candidly shared his opinion that both Sharma and Kohli are “not in their prime” anymore, which may affect India's chances in the upcoming series.

Rohit Sharma, India's skipper, has undoubtedly been India's top run-scorer in Tests since 2020. With 2038 runs at an average of 41.59, including six centuries and seven fifties, Rohit has played some important match-winning innings. However, in 2023, his form has dipped slightly, with an average of 35.50 from eight Tests this year.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli, who was once the backbone of India's batting line-up, has struggled to maintain his vintage form in recent years. Since 2020, Kohli has accumulated 1745 runs at an average of 33.55, with only two hundreds and eight half-centuries to his name. This year has been particularly challenging for Kohli, as he averages just 31.40 from three Tests without a single fifty.

"It might be a tough one. Virat and Rohit, both are not in their prime, they are not at the peak of their powers to be fair and others like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have to rise to the occasion. Rishabh Pant is the only one that I feel is in his prime and a very important player," stated Manjrekar

Despite his worries about India's veteran batters, Manjrekar believes that this Australian side lacks the aura of past teams.

"As for the Australians, the aura and ability they had in the past, where every game they played, they were like champions, is not there anymore," he remarked

In the last two tours, India achieved significant victories against Australia, making history with their wins on Australian soil.

"This series might just be a little more competitive than the last two tours, where Indian cricket reached a new high when they beat Australia. The Indian batting will, I think, decide the fate of the series," said Manjrekar.