India’s 3-1 defeat to Australia means they have lost two consecutive Test series matches for the first time since 2014-15. These two results have dented their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final in June.
Today, we examine the issues that need fixing for the Men in Blue to reclaim their status as one of the best teams in the World.
Seniors Under-Performing
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Virat Kohli and Captain Rohit Sharma are considered stalwarts of Indian cricket. Yet their performances in the last 1 or 2 years have not been up to the usual standards that they have set for themselves.
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Kohli’s 100 in the second innings of the first Test was his only 100 in this format in 2024. For a player of this magnitude, this is nowhere near good enough.
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Since his two centuries against England at the start of 2024, the Indian captain has only scored two fifties in the two home series against New Zealand and Bangladesh.
More often than not, it is the Captain’s form that dictates how well the side performs in a series, as he is the one that lays the foundation of the cricket they want to play.
If the Captain is out of form, it can sometimes impact the team’s mindset, which can also affect their performances in terms of results.
If India will succeed in Test cricket, these two stars need to play some form of red-ball cricket.
Perhaps it’s time for the players to return to basics and play a round or two of the Ranji Trophy.
As the team is due to play a five-match Test series in England beginning on June 20th, it may not be a bad idea for some players to play County Cricket.
The problem is that the season starts on the 4th of April, and the IPL (Indian Premier League) begins on the 14th of March and finishes on the 25th of May.
They must decide where their fate lies regarding playing for the country.
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The fact that Kohli and Sharma have retired from T20 Internationals after winning the World Cup is a starting point, but there needs to be more dedication to one format they enjoy playing the most.
If Kohli loves Test Cricket, he must be committed to spending more time in the middle, which can only be done by playing more red-ball cricket.
Reddy To Begin The Future?
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Regarding the positives to take out of the Series, the young All-rounder from Andhra Pradesh has made a name for himself in Test Cricket.
Reddy was the fourth-highest scorer of the Series, whose century in the first innings of the third Test saved India from the follow-on, even though they lost that game.
India has been longing for a seam-bowling All-rounder who can score runs in SENA countries or conditions that favour seam bowling.
In 2018, it looked as if that man was Hardik Pandya.
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Shardul Thakur was also in contention in 2021.
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But it looks like Reddy is taking his opportunity to impress the selectors, Captain, and Coaching Staff.
With his 298 runs, Reddy took five wickets in the series. His best bowling figures were 2-32 in Sydney’s first innings of the fifth Test.
If he can find more consistency with the ball, he could fulfil the All-Rounder’s role, which India desperately needs.
Jaiswal: A Superstar In The Making
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The Left-Handed Opener was the only India top-order batsman to find some consistency in the form of this series.
With 391 runs at an average of 43.44, Jaiswal was the one Indian batsman that stood out from the rest.
What was so impressive was his temperament. His judgement outside the off stump was immaculate, especially against the new ball.
Those who have seen Jaiswal in the IPL will know that he is an explosive opening batsman. In this Series, he has shown that he can adapt his game to different formats.
If he consistently scores runs in both innings, India will have their next batting great.
More Back Up For Bumrah
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Although India’s ace bowler is a class above everyone else, you have to say that the difference between the two sides was the fact that the backup bowling for Pat Cummins was far superior to India’s.
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Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are talented fast bowlers but lack consistency in pitching the ball in the right areas.
This is why India badly missed Mohammed Shami’s absence. Shami was nursing a knee injury he suffered after the 2023 50-over World Cup.
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Had Shami been there, he would have taken wickets and given India’s attack more control in terms of stemming the follow-on runs due to his accuracy in line and length.
This way, India may have had a greater chance of winning the series, let alone drawing it.
So these are the main issues that India’s Test side needs fixing.
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