Reacting to paternity leave of Virat Kohli, former  India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi said the India captain could have changed his mind and considered staying back with the side in Australia for remaining three Tests.

However, he also agreed that it is a personal decision and legally it is not possible to force someone to stay with the team if he wants to leave for the birth of his child.

As the captain of the team, it was Virat Kohli who needed to take the charge of the 'sinking ship', Doshi said.

“To me, captaining India would be the prime-most thing on my mind. It’s a sinking ship. This is the time when they need their captain the most," Doshi said in an interview to Sportskeeda.

"If you leave at this time, you are leaving the side to your deputy with a lot of questions unanswered. I only hope and pray that the team shows enough character to come out of this,” Doshi added.

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Dilip Doshi has played 33 Test matches for India picking up 114 wickets and playing 15 ODIs, he picked up 22 wickets.

The comments came after India recorded their lowest Test score of 36 and lost the day-night Test in Adelaide in two and a half days to trail the four-match series 1-0.

Terming paternity leave a ‘modern phenomenon’, Doshi said he wouldn’t have flown back home had he been in Kohli’s shoes.

“I know this is a modern phenomenon that people believe that they ought to be by the side of their family and spouses when they deliver a child. I understand all that. But when you are on a national duty… If I put myself in his shoes, I wouldn’t have gone. For me, national duty comes before everything else," he said.

Terming Virat Kohli an ‘outstanding player’, the former India left-arm spinner also stated that India will miss Kohli the batsman more than Kohli the captain.

In the absence of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the remaining three tests.