MCG defeat raises crucial question: Can India take hard call on seniors?

At tea on the final day of the Boxing Day Test at a buzzing Melbourne Cricket Ground, India were 112 for 3 with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant looking set for a long haul. The match was inching towards a draw. But soon after, Pant was dismissed while trying to hit one out of the park, India lost their remaining six wickets for 34 runs.

Australia now lead the series 2-1 going into the final Test in Sydney.

But where did India lose the match? Did they lose because of another batting collapse? Was it because they had let Australia off the hook by dropping four catches after pinning them at 91 for 6 on Day 4? Was it because they got their team selection wrong by resting Shubman Gill and playing an extra spinner who was not really utilised? Was it because Jaiswal was declared caught behind even though “Snicko” had not caught the nick?

There were questions galore, but one that was more poignant than the rest: Is it time to take a hard call on seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?

In five innings during this tour of Australia, India skipper Sharma, now 37, has just faced 110 deliveries while scoring 31 runs at an average of 6.2. He looks tired and slow, and not from spending time at the crease.

The 36-year-old Kohli’s numbers look relatively better -- thanks to the century he scored in the second innings at Perth. It was his 30th Test century and no one can ever question his contribution in the format or his heroics and leadership Down Under that helped India win their first Test series in Australia after 71 years in 2021. But take away the Perth ton and Kohli has just 67 runs in six innings. What’s more worrying is that six of his dismissals in the series have come while chasing the ball outside the off stump. When a batter keeps getting out repeatedly while trying to play a shot that at one point in his career was the most productive, it means things are not alright -- that it may not be poor form but the sign of a deeper problem.

In the last year, Sharma has averaged 24.76 across 14 Tests. During the same period, Kohli has averaged 24.52 over 10 Tests.

So, is it time to take a hard call on the seniors? Or should it be left to them to make that decision? They are the superstars of the game — Sharma is a World Cup-winning captain of recent vintage, Kohli is the one who has been used to sell cricket to the Olympics.

Perhaps a more pertinent question is, how do you know when your run is coming to an end? It’s when you stop meeting your own expectations. And, at least in Test cricket, both batters have not been at their best for some time now.

For now, Sharma isn’t saying much. When asked about his form after the defeat at the MCG on Monday, he said: “I stand where I am standing today. There is nothing to think about what has happened in the past… You know, a lot of the things that I am trying to do is not falling in the place that I would want to. But mentally, look, you know, it is disturbing without a doubt. If you’ve come here, you want to try and be successful. You know what you’re supposed to do and if those things don’t fall in place, that is a big disappointment. But as of now, that is where it is.”

Australia have seen this scenario play out before. When Steve Waugh was struggling, the selectors openly said he must perform or make way for younger talent. When Ricky Ponting was out of sorts in ODIs, the selectors dropped him. Michael Bevan, the greatest ODI chaser before MS Dhoni came along, was let go because the selectors decided it was time to move on.

Indians have always been sentimental about cricket — we talk about respect and reverence when it comes to big players; more for some than others. R Ashwin had been one of India’s greatest match-winners but the team chose to ignore him on overseas tours for reasons that were never entirely clear.

There is no doubt that Sharma and Kohli are disappointed by their failures. That alone can’t be reason to persist with them. It’s also true that they may surprise everyone in Sydney -- that’s what champions do. But the problem is bigger than the next Test. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar is in Australia and watching the proceedings. His panel may have to take a hard decision (or two) sooner than later.