Will India drop Rohit for the Sydney Test and put Kohli on notice?
Or will the team management grant the senior pros a final chance to redeem themselves?
India's batting debacle in the fourth Test against Australia at the MCG has shone the spotlight on the struggling duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Both failed as India slumped to a 184 run defeat in Melbourne, losing seven wickets in the final session on Day 5. This collapse wasted a solid opportunity to bat for a draw.
What irked many is India's efforts to accommodate Rohit, who missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child. Struggling in the middle order during the second and third Tests, he was moved back to the opening position. This decision forced K L Rahul, who looked solid in the games so far, to move to No. 3.
Rahul, who opened in place of Rohit in the first Test, played a pivotal role in India's 295 run victory with scores of 26 and 77. He opened in the next two games scoring 132 runs but he couldn't maintain the same consistency at No. 3 where he scored 24 runs at the MCG.
In getting Rohit back as opener, India dropped Shubman Gill despite his promising starts in the Adelaide Test.
Rohit fell to poor shots in both innings, scoring just 3 and 9. With only 31 runs in five innings, Rohit's position in the playing XI for the final Test in Sydney is in jeopardy.
Head Coach Gautam Gambhir, known for his forthright opinions as a television commentator and on social media, may nudge the captain to step aside for the final Test.
Rohit's decline in 2024 has been stark: 619 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 24, with two centuries. Since his century against England in Dharamsala in March, he has passed 50 only once in 15 innings.
Former pacer Irfan Pathan stated that Rohit would have been dropped if not for his captaincy.
'A player who has made about 20,000 runs, yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all,' Pathan said on Star Sports.
'What's happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now,' Pathan said. 'You would have had a set team. K L Rahul would have been playing at the top. Jaiswal would have been there. Shubman Gill would have been there.'
How Rohit, Kohli Fared In Tests In 2024
Kohli's struggles with the bat are equally concerning.
Apart from a century in Perth, he has failed to contribute significantly, scoring just 62 runs in his last five innings. In 2024, he has managed 417 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 24, with a solitary century.
His dismissals, often caught behind playing away from the body, have frustrated fans and experts alike. Kohli's alarming dip since January 2020 sees him averaging just 31 in 38 Tests with three centuries.
His decline with the bat in the last few years has been quite alarming. Since January 2020, he has scored 2,005 runs in 38 Tests at an average of 31, with just three centuries.
The Australian pacers have exploited Kohli's weakness outside the off-stump time and again, by tempting him with wide deliveries as he has kept playing away from the body.
He was involved in the Yashasvi Jaiswal run out in the first innings of the Melbourne Test which proved to be a turning point in the match.
Pathan criticised Kohli's lack of discipline outside the off stump, highlighting his persistent errors.
'The shot by Virat Kohli -- this is neither the first nor the last time. He is not letting go of the temptation to drive outside the off-stump,' said the former pacer.
'We all talk about his discipline, why can't he bring that discipline onto the field?'
From being one of the being top batters in the world, Kohli's stock has fallen rapidly. His Fab 4 rivals have all raced ahead. Joe Root has scored 19 centuries in the last four years, Kane Williamson has got 10, and Steve Smith has eight in the same period.
India's Test performances in 2024 have been below par. While they triumphed in the T20 World Cup, their Test form has raised alarm bells, including their first-ever home whitewash (0-3 against New Zealand) and two losses against Australia to end the year.
What lies ahead for Rohit and Kohli? Will India drop Rohit, putting Kohli on notice? Or will the team management grant the senior pros a final chance to redeem themselves?
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