India, May 11 -- Virat Kohli's reported desire to retire from Test cricket ahead of India's tour of England has sparked an outpouring of emotion and urgency within the cricketing world. With Rohit Sharma already calling time on his red-ball career earlier this week, Kohli's potential absence would deal another serious blow to India's batting core as they prepare for the start of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.

The Indian Express reported on Saturday that the 36-year-old had informed top BCCI officials of his wish to step away from the longest format. The board, taken aback by the timing, has since urged him to reconsider his decision, especially with the high-stakes five-match Test series against England set to begin on June 2...