On a sticky wicket

THE new year has started on an ominous note for Indian cricket. The men’s team entered the decider of the five-match Test series against Australia without its regular captain, Rohit Sharma. His prolonged poor form forced him to stand down, or rather, he “opted to rest”, as stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah put it euphemistically. It’s rather bizarre for a captain to assert his leadership by choosing not to take the field. His apparent sacrifice, however, did not make any difference to the squad’s plummeting fortunes as it was bundled out for 185 after winning the toss and opting to bat. A dominant Australia is on course to clinch the series, unless India can pull off an improbable victory in the ongoing Sydney Test.

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Things have gone horribly wrong for the team in recent weeks after it started the tour with a remarkable win in the opener at Perth. The Aussies have not only come back strongly but also reined in India’s leading batter Virat Kohli. The latter made things worse when he shoulder-charged teenager Sam Konstas in the Melbourne Test, a transgression for which he received a 20 per cent match fee penalty and a demerit point from the International Cricket Council. India went on to lose the match, and head coach Gautam Gambhir didn’t bother to conceal his displeasure.

The bitter truth is that Rohit and Virat — both legends in their own right — are past their prime in Test cricket. The clamour for their retirement is growing by the day. A difficult period of transition is in store for the team, with veteran Ravichandran Ashwin having already called time on his illustrious career. Last year’s whitewash at the hands of New Zealand had punctured India’s aura of invincibility at home. The team’s resilience will be put to the test as it faces more headwinds this year.