New Delhi: The senior batters let India down yet again as the visitors suffered a crushing 184-run defeat in the 4th Test against Australia in Melbourne on Monday to go 1-2 down in the five-match series. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the lone fighter for India but his gritty 84-run knock went in vain as Australia successfully defended the target of 340 runs by bundling out India for a paltry 155 to wrap up a big win.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to deliver again as their horror run continued in the series. Despite their woeful form, expectations were high from the senior duo in the near-impossible run chase in India’s second innings on Day 5 of the 4th Test on Monday. However, both batters disappointed again as they were dismissed cheaply, becoming part of India’s terrible top-order collapse.
Rohit was sent packing after scoring 9 off 40 balls while Kohli poked another outside-off delivery from Mitchell Starc to get dismissed on 5. The mental blocks and technical frailties were left exposed once again as the onus fell on the middle order to save the Test match. Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant nearly pulled India back into the contest with a solid stand but their efforts didn’t prove enough in the end.
Soon after Australia managed a breakthrough by dismissing Pant, the hosts ripped through India’s batting line-up to sweep the game and take the lead in the series. As India stand on the cusp of losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia for the first time since 2018, we take a look at some persistent issues that have haunted the visitors regularly in the series so far.
3 problems that have haunted India in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25:
1) Rohit Sharma’s awful form, abysmal captaincy
Rohit Sharma’s awful form and his abysmal captaincy have been one of the biggest reasons behind India’s downfall in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Rohit has been dreadful with the bat having managed only 36 runs in three Tests ever since making his comeback in the 2nd Test in Adelaide. The Indian skipper has managed to score in double digits only once in his last five innings with 10 being his highest score.
Rohit’s form has been questionable right from the New Zealand Test series at home where India suffered a humiliating 3-0 clean sweep. The Indian skipper had scored only 91 runs in the three Tests against the Kiwis, including a solitary fifty. He was expected to find his mojo in Australia but his form and performances have proven India should look past the 37-year-old in the longest format.
Rohit’s captaincy too has been poor and has not helped his case at all in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Indian skipper has made questionable decisions, poor bowling changes and has often looked clueless as the leader on the field. He has been overly reliant on Jasprit Bumrah when India’s bowling and has failed to marshal his troops under pressure.
2) Virat Kohli’s similar pattern of dimissals
Virat Kohli’s form has also been a huge concern for India in the series so far. The senior batter started the series in an emphatic manner with an unbeaten century in the first Test in Perth. However, he has since fizzled out and has been consistently dismissed in a similar fashion in the last three Tests – trying to go after outside off deliveries.
Kohli has managed to score only 62 runs in his last five innings since his century in the first Test in Perth. But more than the lack of runs, Kohli’s inability to work on his weakness outside the off stump has haunted India in the series so far. Kohli has been constantly troubled by the sixth stump line from the Australian pacer and has been dismissed six times, trying to poke outside-off deliveries in this series alone.
His inability to stay out in the middle for long and forge big partnerships has cost India heavily in the series. Kohli has also looked out of touch on several occasions in the series failing to replicate his past heroics against Australia Down Under.
3) Lack of support for Jasprit Bumrah in pace attack
While India’s batting has been shambolic, the lack of support for Jasprit Bumrah in the pace attack has also been evident in the series so far. Bumrah has been exceptional in the series so far with an impressive 30 wickets in 4 Tests at an excellent average of 12.83, including 3 fifers. However, he has often found himself toiling hard single-handedly as the lone warrior with the ball.
Mohammed Siraj bowled well in the 4th Test at the MCG and played good second-fiddle to Bumrah but barring him none of the other fast bowlers have managed to compliment the Indian pace spearhead. Bumrah and Siraj have 46 wickets between them combined while the likes of Akash Deep, Harshit Rana and Nitish Reddy have managed only 12 wickets between them in the series so far.
Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker for India with 30 wickets, followed by Siraj (16). The next best Akash Deep, has only 5 wickets to his name in 2 Tests, highlighting how India have failed to fill the gap of the third pacer which is crucial to their chances of picking up all 20 wickets in a Test match and win in Australia.
From Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s abysmal form to sheer lack of support for Jasprit Bumrah from the other end, here is a look at three persistent issues that have plagued India on their current tour of Australia as they stare at first Test series defeat Down Under since 2018. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
