Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Speculation that India captain Rohit Sharma and batting stalwart Virat Kohli are set to call time on their test careers has snowballed as the veteran pair continue to struggle in the five-test series in Australia.

India, who won their last two test tours in Australia, went 2-1 down in the series after their stunning defeat in Melbourne on Monday (December 30, 2024), with the hosts needing only a draw in Sydney to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).

Opener Rohit has just one fifty and 10 single-digit scores in his last 15 test innings, and even a move down the order failed to pay dividends for the 37-year-old.

Also Read | How India can reach WTC Final: Win at SCG and hope for Sri Lankan series victory or draw against Australia

Under his captaincy, India have lost five tests this season, equalling their unwanted record from 1999-2000 under Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli, one of the greats of the modern game, has not fared much better.

The 36-year-old struck a century in the opening test in Perth but had a wretched season overall with nine single-digit scores in 17 innings this test season.

Both New Zealand and Australia have exploited his vulnerability to left-arm spin and outside the off-stump line, rendering him a walking wicket at times.

“Is it time to take a call on seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?” the Hindustan Times newspaper asked on its front page after the defeat in Melbourne, where India lost seven wickets after tea on day five.

That sentiment was echoed among fans in the cricket-mad country where Rohit and Kohli are practically worshipped, with the term “happy retirement” trending on Monday.

Both players quit Twenty20 Internationals immediately after guiding India to their second 20-overs World Cup title in June.

“Is the Rohit-Kohli retirement announcement round the corner?” asked the Indian Express.

“The curtain is beginning to slide down from above; will they give themselves one more test at Sydney with BGT still open and out there for the taking or …?”

The Times of India called for an immediate changing of the guard, saying the senior batters were “in danger of being termed as liabilities”.

The Melbourne defeat not only dented India’s chances of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but it effectively ended their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final for the third time in a row.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said another failure in Sydney could prompt Rohit to quit test cricket and that India should draft in new faces for their England tour next year.

“The next cycle of the World Test Championship will be the cycle for 2027. You should see new faces for that,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.

Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne (L) inpects the wicket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on December 25, 2024, ahead of the fourth cricket Test match between Australia and India starting December 26
| Photo Credit: AFP

Gurgling babies clinging to their mothers, children running with abandon, a group of women sitting on the grass and having a chat, and seasoned cricketers becoming all melting chocolate with their partners and off-spring, constituted a slice of utopia on Christmas Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, once Thursday (December 26, 2024) dawns, sport’s metaphor of a battle without guns will be on view as a packed venue witnesses the commencement of the fourth Test.

Pat Cummins and his men had a relaxed vibe on match-eve and as their families converged and they all got together for their annual Christmas lunch, cricket’s angst was temporarily kept at bay. The positivity was further reinforced when Travis Head, India’s nemesis so far in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, was declared fit for the contest. Head was grinning while sitting next to Marnus Labuschagne, and the latter played the chauffeur, and drove some of his teammates to the hotel.

The Indians, meanwhile, opted to rest but were also conscious about the series being at its tipping point at 1-1. The next fortnight that features two Tests will determine the outcome of a tussle that has acquired a distinct halo over the years even if it may not have the emotional resonance of the Ashes or the ones involving India and Pakistan.

Australia steps in with a comeback wind rustling through its ranks. Having put behind the Perth debacle, the host seized the Adelaide game and was holding the reins in Brisbane too before persistent rains and the Indian lower-order proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. But with mostly Head scoring the runs while Steve Smith and Labuschagne have belatedly joined the party, worries linger even if there are expectations over debutant Sam Konstas throwing some punches.

The bowling, though, has been incredible with Mitchell Starc and Cummins leading the way and even if Josh Hazlewood is out with injury, Scott Boland can be a handful as was evident in Adelaide. Countering this attack and piling on the runs is mandatory for Rohit Sharma’s men to prosper. So far, K.L. Rahul’s consistency and Bumrah’s potency have influenced India’s fortunes. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli scored tons at Perth but after that the two have been lukewarm, an attribute that has also derailed Shubman Gill, Rohit and Rishabh Pant.

Indian Test squad without Ashwin

This game at the MCG will mark a mini transition for the visitors. Rare is an Indian Test squad that does not have R. Ashwin. A regular presence since his debut against the West Indies in Delhi in 2011, the great off-spinner’s retirement after the third Test, marks the end of an era.

Washington Sundar and newly drafted Tanush Kotian get a chance to prove their mettle. Whether Ravindra Jadeja would be the lone spinner in the eleven or have company remains to be seen. A heat wave predicted for Thursday and a surface with its tinge of green would keep the rival captains mulling over their options at the toss.

The teams (from):

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, K.L. Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Tanush Kotian.

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head (vice-captain), Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson and Beau Webster.

Match officials: Umpires: Joel Wilson and Michael Gough; Third umpire: Saikat; Match referee: Andy Pycroft.

Match starts at 5 a.m. IST.