In matter of days, the Indian Test team has seen the retirement of two of its finest and experienced cricketers in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It leaves a huge void in the Test setup given the role these two have played in the team’s success over the years. Since neither of the two gave any indication of retiring, the decisions came as a surprise. Rohit had even publicly stated how he was looking forward to the England tour while reports claim that Kohli too was quite eager to be part of India’s next international assignment. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Prior to their retirements, the Indian team saw another stalwart in Ravichandran Ashwin bidding goodby to international cricket last December. Commenting on the latest development, the legendary spinner hailed his former teammates, pointing out their contrasting character. “Both Kohli and Rohit are contrasting figures like ice and fire. They complemented each other,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Ashwin though feels that had Rohit not injured his ankle when he was to make his debut in February 2010, he could’ve forged a Test career comparable to that of Kohli. “Both of them had a very illustrious career. Rohit Sharma could have achieved what Virat Kohli did in his Test career. Because Rohit missed a crucial debut, he couldn’t play 100 Tests. He didn’t play for four straight years and then he made his debut in 2013,” Ashwin recalled. “Rohit was to make his Test debut before Virat but because of the injury it got delayed. Virat debuted in 2011 against West Indies. When Virat won U-19 world cup as captain, he was being looked as the next big thing,” he added. Kohli went on to play 123 Tests while Rohit retired after 67 Tests. “You cannot buy experience in a shop. I am sure Virat’s energy will be missed, Rohit’s composure will be missed,” Ashwin said as Indian team enters a new era. At the same time, Ashwin feels that retirement is inevitable. “It doesn’t matter how good a player you are…even Sachin Tendulkar had to retire one day,” he said.