India, May 10 -- Early-morning texts (depending on one's definition of 'early morning', of course) seldom bring glad tidings. So, when the phone chirped reasonably early (let's say before 8.00 AM) on Friday, it was with reasonably baleful reluctance that one reached out to be greeted by 'Virat likely to retire from Tests.'

The first reaction was, 'Oh no, not him too.' The cricketing landscape was just about recovering from Rohit Sharma's Test retirement, less than 48 hours previously. How could India lose both their immediate Test captains in one fell swoop? Especially with a demanding, challenging, arduous, extended five-Test tour of England not far away?

Retirement, as we have maintained all along, is an entirely personal call. Every ...