The series Down Under is bound to throw up some of the most exciting, memorable and career-defining games. And this recently-concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy was no different. This closely fought series was all about catching up on the small but crucial moments, which India, unfortunately, failed to do, and as a result, despite taking the lead with a historic win at the Aussie fortress of Perth, ended up losing the series 1-3. Among all other talking points from the series two standouts for me remain: Bumrah’s masterclass and the worrying state of Indian batting. In this Blog, I will reflect on the details of this intriguing month-long series.

Backdrop of the Series

India was coming into the series, extremely low on confidence, following the shocking whitewash loss against New Zealand at home. The series not only shattered India’s over 12 years of unbeaten streak at home but also exposed the severe vulnerabilities of the Indian batters against spin. What was even worrying was that India’s big two — skipper Rohit Sharma and stalwart Virat Kohli produced some abysmal numbers, further worrying India’s prospects against a much stronger rival that too at their turf.

The series was also going to be a major litmus test for Gautam Gambhir, whose coaching tenure has been filled with one setback after the other. The shocking loss against New Zealand at home was preceded by an even more shocking 3-0 loss against Sri Lanka in an ODI series played in the island nation. As Rohit was unavailable for the first Test at Perth, Gambhir’s role was all more important in the series that would have defined India’s prospects of playing the World Test Championship Final in England.

Under Jasprit Bumrah, India marked a famous victory at Perth, the one for the folklore (Photo: BCCI)

India conquers Perth in style

Rohit’s absence did create conversations around the leadership options in the team, but as the squad announced for the tour mentioned ‘vice-captain’ in front of Bumrah’s name, it was pretty clear that the pace spearhead would take over the helm in Rohit’s absence for the second time (he also led one game in England in 2022).

The whole itinerary of the series was very meticulously designed to give Australia the best chance to make it 3-0 (Perth, D/N in Adelaide and Brisbane) before moving to Melbourne and Sydney — two grounds relatively good for batting and both conditions and recent records favouring India. So, heading onto Perth, Aussies were the clear favourites. But, Bumrah and company had other ideas.

Winning the toss under a gloomy sky on a green top wicket, Bumrah took the brave call to bat first. On the fast and bouncy wicket, the Australian pacers came all guns blazing, knocking off Jaiswal, Paddikal (Gill’s replacement), and Kohli leaving India reeling at 32-3. KL Rahul, who looked extremely composed in his 26 (74) was adjudged LBW out in a ‘controversial’ decision, as the bat had clearly touched the pad, which could have spiked the snicko. While Pant (37) and debutant Nitish Reddy(41) tried to manage the damage, they couldn’t get any support from others. Finally, India was bundled out at a score of 150, which at that point in time, looked below-par.

But, Indian bowling, led by Bumrah himself, was no short of confidence despite having a small total. Taking the aggressive route straightaway, Bumrah knocked off Khwaja, debutant McSweeney and Steve Smith. Siraj cleared Labuschagne (2 off 52) and debutant Harshit got the better of dangerous Tavis Head leaving the Aussies rattled at 59/7. Even, as the game resumed on Day 2, the Indian rampage continued. Battering some small partnerships by Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc (top scorer at 26), India bundled out Australia at 104, taking a decisive lead in the game.

 

 

In the second innings, the wicket had bettered significantly for batting. Making the most of it, Jaiswal and Rahul went on a rampage, putting up a 201-run opening partnership. After Rahul was dismissed at 77, followed by Paddikal (26), Virat came in to bat. The modern master who was under a lot of scrutiny over his poor run at home, had a big point to prove. As Jaiswal departed at 161 missing on to a double hundred and was quickly followed by Jurel and Pant, the match hung in the balance with India at 320/5. From here, Virat continued to score in his trademark fashion — a couple of boundaries here and there, in a mix with some good running between the wickets and two beautiful sixes. Sundar (29) and Reddy with his quickfire and unbeaten 38 ably supported the stalwart, who reached his 81st hundred in style with a boundary, which perhaps for the first time came off a sweep shot. India declared at 487/6, which meant the Aussies needed 534 runs to win.

Australia had to bat a few over that day itself, and Bumrah and company soon reduced them to 12/3, effectively sealing the fate of the game that very day. In a great gesture as leader, Pat Cummins himself came out as the nightwatchman, but only to be dismissed at 2. On the fourth day India continued with its onslaught, but as the wicket didn’t have any ghosts, Travis Head (89) along with Mitchell Marsh (47) and Alex Carey (36) tried taking the game ahead. But, the Indian bowlers were consistent enough to end the whole batting effort at 238, handing India a massive, historic and thunderous 295-run victory at the new Optus stadium in Perth.

The win — only the second by a visiting Asian side at the ground (the first was by India in 2008) — not just marked one of India’s greatest-ever overseas wins, but also set the tone for a great series. From this point, India had the upper hand not just in terms of scoreline but also in terms of morale and it was only up to them to lose the momentum.

Travis Head’s bombastic hundred rode Aussies to a famous win at Adelaide (Photo: ICC)

Aussies pose ‘Pink’ comeback in Adelaide

The next game was Adelaide, a ground particularly relished by both India and stalwart Virat Kohli. But, the match being a Day/Night game, meant the conditions were completely different. Also, regular skipper Rohit Sharma returned to the side, but in a huge decision, the team management decided not to disturb the very good-looking opening combination of Jaiswal-Rahul which meant Rohit would have to bat down the order.

Winning the toss, India decided to bat first. The decision wasn’t wrong, but the execution surely was. Starc, who had a banter with Jaiswal during his knock in the first game, came with all revenge and got him LBW on the very first ball. Rahul, along with Gill, tried to stabilise the innings, but both failed to convert their good starts into big innings. Virat, again falling to the ‘outside off stump’ habit, left India stranded at 81-4 and 87-5. Nitish (42) tried to fight back but didn’t get enough support from the other end, and India was all out at 180, which was an extremely below-par total. To be honest, I realised at that very moment, that the game had slipped away from our hands.

The Aussies were off to a good start, after losing Khwaja, they rebuilt the innings well with Labuschagne and McSweeney. Despite removing Smith early, there was no respite for India as Travis Head — who has been India’s ‘headache’ lately — went on song, and hit India all across the park in his monstrous knock of 140 (which came almost at 100 strike rate). Jasprit Bumrah, again India’s main wicket-taker, was choked for any support from the other end. While Harshit looked complete niche for the pink ball, Siraj’s 4 wickets came only after the game had gone well out of the team’s hands. The Australian innings ended at 337, handing them a match-defining lead of 157.

In the second innings, India’s batting woes against the pink ball continued. Jaiswal, Pant, and Gill, all three failed to convert their very good-looking starts. Virat fell prey in the same fashion, while Rohit, at six, looked clueless in the second innings too. Nitish Reddy was the top scorer again. India was bundled out at 175, barely avoiding an innings loss and giving a target of just 19 runs, which Australia made in just 3.2 overs, posing a thunderous comeback in the series after the humiliation at Perth and shifting the momentum.

The gritty partnership between Bumrah and Akash Deep helped India avoid the follow-on and save the match (Photo: BCCI)

Rain saves India at Gabba as Ashwin bids ‘surprising’ goodbye

After the series stood even after the two games, this match effectively meant, the winner almost ensuring the series. India brought in Jadeja in place of Ashwin, to give more edge to its batting, and brought in Akash Deep in place of off-colour Harshit. In a conservative call, India decided to bowl first on the wicket, which didn’t present any demons as of such, at the first instance.

Bumrah did reduce Australia to 38/2 at one point, but they rebuilt and rebuilt quite strongly riding on tons of Steve Smith (who returned to his clinical touch after a very long) and Travis Head (who of course continued giving some more headache). Even after Australia was 327/6 after Head’s departure, India allowed Travis Head and the tail to take this score to 445. Once again, Bumrah was left alone hunting for the wickets and he gunned down six, while Siraj was scattered and wicketless.

Up against a big total, India’s start was abysmally poor, from 4/1, 6/2, 22/3 (Kohli dismissal outside off again) to 74/5, follow-on was very much on the cards for India. Rahul (84), again composed and solid, was the lone man standing. After Rahul’s dismissal, the match looked done for India, but Ravindra Jadeja (77) held on to the other end. When Jadeja departed at 213/9, a follow-on looked certain. But, Akash Deep, decided to turn up for the team and showing immense courage, smashed a solid 31 off 44, including two boundaries and a six. He was ably supported by Bumrah (10 off 38 including a six) When a ball with extra bounce, edged off Deep’s late cut and went over the third slip for four, and India escaped the follow-on, the whole dressing room was left in jubilation.

Though some were criticizing India’s ‘celebration’ drawing parallels from the last game at Gabba played by India, where it entered the folklore with the historic win, I still believe it was a good moment, as sports is all about winning and living through these small moments.

 

Coming back to the game, after India was bundled out at 260, it was already Day 5 of the rain-affected game. Skipper Cummins decided to go for a quick 100 run and give his team around 50-60 overs to bowl out India. The Australian batters came out hard, and in the process lost wickets quickly. Marsh and Head were promoted above Smith, but for no use. Australia was left 33/5 and India smelled something nice here. Skipper Cummins decided to lead from the front and in his 22 off 10 took his team to 89/7, and declared soon after he himself got out. So now, India has a target of 275 runs in around 55 overs. Rahul and Jaiswal came out and played 2 overs before the final phase of rain rocked in pushing the game into a draw and depriving the fans of what could have been an interesting session, even if an eventual draw.

But, the real bombshell was still awaiting India. While the game was ending, Ashwin and Virat were seen having some emotional conversation, after which the latter hugged him. The scenes were enough to chill the bones of all Indian fans. Eventually, in the post-match press conference, Ashwin came along with Rohit and announced his retirement from international cricket.

But, he did say, that he still has “cricket left in him” and would continue playing some leagues and other forms of the game. It was a huge shocker, but quite understandable keeping in mind the way Ashwin was regularly being chopped in and out of the team mostly due to choosing someone with better batting abilities. Ashwin, India’s best spinner of the generation, was bound to have felt sidelined and treated like the No. 3 spinner in the squad. Anyway, it was a huge loss for a player with such a grand legacy. I still recall watching Ashwin since the 2011 WC days and watching him emerge the top bowler in the world. I always believed he could have challenged Anil Kumble’s wicket tally and Kapil Dev’s all-round abilities. He might have left a few steps early, but he will still feature among India’s all-time greats.

The photographic winning moment for Australia in Melbourne (Photo: cricket.com.au)

The Boxing Day ‘Heartbreak’ at Melbourne

Despite Perth, I believe the best wicket in the series was at Melbourne. Heading to MCG 1-1, the series was evenly poised. As I said earlier, the itinerary was specifically designed to give Australia the best chance to go MCG with 3-0. So, a 1-1 was a great situation for India to be in. Australia decided to bat on the wicket that was really good for batting. As this game was to decide where the series would head, it was very important for both teams to take the right course of path. Accordingly, there were ‘strategic’ changes in both teams, while it worked for one, it didn’t for the other…you;ll soon understand who all.

Aussies, in a bid to face Bumrah with more intent, decided to bring in debutant 19-year-old Sam Konstas in place of McSweeney. The gamble did pay off, as, after a couple of swings and misses, Konstas did get some off his bat. And once that happened, there was no stopping him. The most breathtaking was the scoop off Bumrah with perfection. Eventually, Jadega got Konstas at 60 (off just 65). This taking on Bumrah’s attitude filled the whole Aussie batting with intent, as even an off-colour Khwaja (57) made a fifty followed by Labuschagne (72). Steve Smith, who had just returned to his form, made sure to make the best out of it and made a daddy hundred (140). At one point, Bumrah tried posing a comeback for India reducing Australia from 237/2 to 246/5, but Smith followed by Carey (31) and Cummins (49) made sure to take the total further to 474, which was always going to be too much. Once again Bumrah with his four-fer was choked for any support by Siraj and Akash.

19-year-old deutant Sam Kostas set the tone for Aussies with his brave and entertaining knock (Photo: cricket.com.au)  

India, trying to make the best use of its batters, decided to bring Rohit back at the opening slot, pushing Rahul at 3, which also meant that Gill had to sit out, as India went with an extremely defensive combination of Jadeja and Sundar 6 and 7 followed by Reddy. But none of that benefitted as both Rohit (3) and Rahul (24) couldn’t do much. But, young Jaiswal, whose bat was quietened by the Aussies after that big 100, returned to his style heading for another one. He was ably supported by Virat, who looked really good after much long. At one point, it seemed Virat was set for another ton, but just then happened that ‘horrible, unneeded and disastrous’ run-out of Jaiswal, at Virat’s call. At that very moment, Virat lost his focus and a few balls later, ended up nicking one off to Boland at 36 (86).

At 159/5, India again had a follow-on looming over their head. With all main batters in the dugout, the odds were staked against India, and again, a new hero arose…this time it was Nitish Kumar Reddy. Carrying the Indian batting with the support of Sundar and tail, Reddy dragged India not just past the follow-on but brought down the Aussie lead to a mere 105, which was a huge disappointment for the Aussies, who at one point, looked poised to get over 250-run lead.

India was in the driver’s seat at that moment and came rocking at the Australian batting. From Bumrah taking his revenge on Konstas knocking his bails off, to Siraj removing Smith and then Labuschagne (72) later. Bumrah ripped through Head, Marsh and Carey rattling Australia to 91/6. At this point, it was India’s game. But, loose captaincy and defensive approach slowly allowed the game to drift away. Cummins (41) played a resilient captain’s knock taking the score to 173/9. But, even after that, India allowed Australia to add 50-odd runs taking its total to 234 handing India a tricky target of 340, which wasn’t going to be easy in 90-odd overs.

Nitish Reddy emerged as a new Hero for India in the game (Photo: BCCI)

India did come with positive intentions, but Rohit (9), followed by Rahul (0) and Virat (5) left India crumbling at 33/3 staring at an embarrassing loss. In the second session, Jaiswal and Pant showed great resilience, countering all the cards thrown by the Aussies and not giving any wicket in the whole session. As India came after Tea, the game looked set for a draw, had India not given them an opening. That game-changing moment came when Rishabh Pant (30 off 104) fell to the bait and tried to slog part-timer Head for a biggie but ended up handing one to the deep mid-wicket. Jadeja (2) and Nitish (1) were quick to follow, but still, Jaiswal being at the wicket gave hope that India could sustain the game. Just then, Cummins came back to tease Jaiswal with a bouncer, which ‘appeared’ to have taken an edge. However, neither the on-field umpire nor the snicko confirmed any noise. In a huge shocker and perhaps, the first of its kind, third umpire, Sharfuddoula (Bangladeshi) decided to go with the “visual evidence” and adjudge Jaiswal out, a moment that just defined the match as well as the series. After that, everything was a formality and India was bundled out at 155 with 15 overs to spare.

Here, I will have to point out two things. Firstly, you got to laud the Australian unit and Cummins’ leadership, who kept their attacking approach and hunted down the win out of a draw. Secondly, the Jaiswal dismissal (India could’ve lost even if he was not out) has severe hypocrisy on the part of the umpire. While everyone talks about the umpire’s call if snicko hadn’t performed a noise then how the third umpire was convinced by having “conclusive evidence” to give him out. Also, Rahul’s dismissal (in Perth) had a clear bat-pad moment, but there the umpire went with snicko noise. Even if the umpire wants to go with visual evidence, the methodology has to be constant.

India concedes BGT after disappointment in Sydney

Now, the last Test at Sydney had a huge prologue. According to reports, Rohit Sharma was set to announce his retirement, but retracted at the last moment after the advice of some “well-wishers”. In a surprising development, Gautam Gambhir came for the pre-match press conference and on being asked, didn’t clearly confirm Rohit’s place in the team. Other media leaks of a rift in the dressing room further raised concerns regarding the team environment. Eventually, the unexpected did happen and Rohit was dropped by the management and Bumrah returned to lead the side.

In another surprise, the Aussies had changed the Sydney wicket to a fast-paced, low-scoring,  green top wicket. Bumrah won the toss and again decided to bat. But, the batting woes continued even in the all-important clash as Rahul (4) and Jaiswal (10) were removed early. Gill and Virat stitched a mini-good partnership, but both failed to capitalize on the time spent on the crease, leaving the team 72/4. Pant with his resilient (40 off 98) tried to hold one end, but wickets kept falling on the other and even Bumrah’s late fires (22 off 17) could take the total to only 185, which was still below-par.

But, Indian bowlers came out rocking and, after very long, hunted in a pack. Bumrah removed Khwaja and Labuschagne while Siraj got Konstas and Head leaving Australia 39/4. Smith (33) and debutant Webster (57) tried some rebuilding but could take the total to only 181. Pasidh Krishna, who got his first game in the series looked very sharp and made the most of his height taking three. This meant India had a small but psychological lead of 4 runs. But, there was one worrying development as well, Bumrah, the soul of India’s bowling developed strain and was rushed to the hospital. It was clear that Bumrah wouldn’t be able to bowl in the second innings.

Scott Boland, even in his irregular appearances, was a constant deliver for Australia (Photo: ICC)

Rishah Pant scored a quickfire fighting fifty but it wasn’t enough (Photo: BCCI)

The Indian batters had a huge task in hand in the third innings, and both openers did take India to a good start, but first Jaiswal (22) then Rahul (13) departed quickly, followed by Virat, who, perhaps in his final innings in Australia, again failed to counter the outside-off issue and again fell prey to Scott Boland — who despite not being regular in the squad posed enough troubles for India. This marked a rather disappointing end to a fairytale ride of Virat Kohli in Australia. As India seemed in trouble, Rishabh Pant, adopted a different approach and started hitting in his natural style. The same Pant, who played 98 balls for his 40 runs in the first innings, went for a berserk 61 runs off 33, smashing bowlers all around the park. Eventually, he was dismissed by Cummins and India stood at 129/6 on the end of Day 2. India needed to put up at least 200 for a strong contest. But, defying all expectations, both Jadeja and Sundar were dismissed early, setting only a 162-run target for the Australians, that too when India didn’t have Bumrah.

The Aussies had a solid start. Prasidh’s three-fer followed by Siraj’s wicket of Khwaja did reduce the Aussie to 104/4, but from there on, it only stood spectators as Head and Webster ensured to take Australia across the line and marked India’s exit from the World Test Championship race. This also marked the first instance since 2015, when the Border Gavaskar Trophy finally went to Australia.

Talking Points from the Series

Well, there are bound to be many talking points after a disappointing series loss, that you should have won. Firstly, a series of strategic mistakes throughout the series. In my opinion, it would have been good had the same captain continued throughout the series. But even if that wasn’t possible, the regular chopping and changing of Rohit’s batting position and then his place in the team itself, only showed India as a team which wasn’t clear with its plans and lacked confidence in its own unit. This anyway gave Australia a psychological upper hand over us.

 

Secondly, some team selections were puzzling, to say the least. If Prasiddh Krishna came out so good in Sydney, why wasn’t he kept in XI since the first game? Harshit Rana is fine, but it seems a work in progress and was hurried through in Australia. A Prasiddh Krishna or Akash Deep in the Pink Ball test could have been highly useful.

The less I talk about the batting woes the better. A major reason for this problem definitely seems to be the lack of red-ball game practice. Majority of the players also play white ball cricket, and it is amply clear that most of them are not able to shift their mindset, even heading into the Test matches. A simple yet important way to address this is to make these players play domestic games, which almost everyone hasn’t been doing for ages. Except for Bumrah, some all-format pacers or in some specific cases (if someone is having an extreme workload or an emergency) it should be mandatory for players to play domestic games, especially the red-ball format.

But, the biggest alarm for me in the series was the continuous reports of disunity in the team. From leaked conversations from the dressing room to reports that the captain and coach were not on the same page, to the extent that Rohit, allegedly announced a different XI (maybe in Adelaide) than what was discussed by the team.

Jasprit Bumrah showed real domination, running through the Aussies like a beast (Photo: BCCI)

All hail the Jassi Bhai!

Jasprit Bumrah, how can you not talk about this Legend. The beast of a bowler single-handedly kept India in the hunt throughout. Without him, India wouldn’t have posed even the fight it did in the series.

It is for the first time in India’s history that the opposition, that too, Australia (likes of Head and Khwaja), publicly accepted not once but multiple times, “How can you even play someone like him”.

But, anyway, it will always be a huge heartbreak that even after such a mind-boggling performance Down Under, Bumrah couldn’t lay his hands on the trophy. The other upsetting fact is that he was overworked to such an extent, that eventually, he ended up sustaining a serious injury. For a fact, throughout this 1.5-month-long series, there was not a single day, where Bumrah either didn’t bat or bowled for the team. This one lie is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.

Now, we all are extremely proud of Bumrah, and in my opinion, he should be India’s next captain for some time. But, keeping in mind the national treasure he is, we should also be mindful of his workload. It would be better to appoint Bumrah as captain and at the same time, keep a young guy as his deputy, so he can lead when Bumrah’s not around and also learn when alongside him.

Pat Cummins has emerged as the leader who has reignited the Aussie dominance (Photo: ESPN) 

What a Leader Cummins!

 

Now, it would be dishonest if I closed this Blog without talking about Pat Cummis. The leader who took over the team’s reigns in uncertain times and has led the team already to the Ashes (twice), World Test Championship, ODI World Cup (unfortunately) and now even the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

 

A huge aspect of Cummins’ leadership is a calm but focused execution of plans and always leading from the front. Whether it is coming out himself as a night-watchman in Perth saving the team from not one but two collapses in Melbourne as a batter or picking up crucial 2-3 wickets in every inning, even though not featuring in the top bowling charts, Cummins has shown how to lead y example.

Yes, the series was heartbreaking, and so were the losses in the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship in 2023, and I HATE him for that. But as a Cricket fan, I can’t help but admire the leader, who in my opinion is the best Aussies have got since Ricky Ponting.

Gautam Gambhir has been at the receiving end of severe criticism after a series of disappointments under him (Photo: BJ Sports)

Should the Axe fall on Gambhir?

Now, it is certain that with a big position also comes greater accountability. Gambhir, was Jay Shah’s pick and after being appointed the head coach, got all the appointments he wanted; Ryan ten Doeschate, Morne Morkel, and Abhishek Nayar in fact his whole KKR setup (which his critics call KKR Lobby).

Gambhir’s report card, however, hasn’t been able to justify all the fanfare and huge claims, the former India cricketer made ahead of taking on the job.
First came the surprising series loss against Sri Lanka, India’s first in 27 years. Then came the even more surprising whitewash against New Zealand at home, which brought an end to India’s scary home dominance and finally the loss to Australia, which also marked India’s exit from the World Test Championship cycle. All these are bound to raise question marks on Gambhir, especially, keeping in mind, the tall claims and allegations he used to make when he was not at the job.

But, still, I personally believe that it is too early to judge Gambhir’s tenure, especially, because he has taken over the helm at a time when not just the team but even its leadership is in a transition phase. Comparatively, Rahul Dravid inherited a more settled team and was ultimately able to win the trophy only in 2024 (after taking over in 2021), so we should not jump to conclusions just now. Gambhir and his unit should be given time and confidence. And irrespective of how many disagreements I have with him (his choice of political party was pathetic) I am still pretty optimistic that he will hand a good young crop of team and a couple of tournaments before he leaves.

Skipper Rohit Sharma had a poor run, tempting the management to drop him in Sydney (Photo: Hindustan Times)

Future of Virat and Rohit

The sequence of some horrific losses with India’s big two – Rohit and Virat – looking completely out of touch, is bound to put a question mark on their future in the team. So let me address them separately.

Rohit, I have to say, had the most tumultuous year one could imagine. From being the nation’s hero for winning the 2024 T20WC to being dropped in Australia and his place being questioned by the end of the year. Frankly, he doesn’t seem fit in the Test team anymore and nor do I think he can regain the spot before England tour. I was rather surprised why he backtracked from the retirement announcement. The only logical reason that comes to me is he wants to sign off on a happy note.

In ODIs, however, Rohit is still a veteran, and I don’t think his place should be questioned there as of now. It will depend on him whether he will retire after this tournament or sometime after it, perhaps in his home ground. Also, I don’t see Rohit playing till the 2027 WC, so the transition in leadership is also something that the team should start looking at.

For Virat, the situation has been even more tenuous. While he recovered from his lean patch (2020-22) with a strong 2023, his Test form never actually returned to the ‘real’ Kohli level. Despite a few 100s and some runs here and there, he has been immensely inconsistent at home and abroad, against spin and pace alike. The ghosts of outside off stump have returned and how. In this series, the biggest disappointment, which even Virat will accept, was he failed to counter the only plan Aussies came up with against him and fell prey in the same fashion eight times.

I know this is Virat’s last few years with the game, but despite this horrific season, I still believe that Virat can make a comeback, maybe, for one last time. He is the Champion hungry, who’s the greatest this generation has seen. All he needs is to reignite his inner self by playing more cricket, domestic or County (I personally believe the latter would be the best option considering the all-important England tour). His place in ODIs can’t be touched as of now and if he persists with his form, he can play the 2027 WC. His place in Tests, however, will depend on the England series (if he is not dropped before it) but that will be the LAST chance for Virat to prove himself in the whites. Though I am optimistic, he needs to play a lot of cricket, especially County and get a level of mental and psychological ownership back from the time when he used to demolish the bowlers for fun.

Virat had a horrific end to his favourite opposition country as he fell prey to outside off-bait (Photo: Times of India) 

The New Rules in Place

I couldn’t have closed the Blog without talking a little about the new rules brought in by the BCCI. I know there are many criticisms on social media. But, in my opinion, these rules are well placed and much needed, especially to curb the ‘star culture’.

 

The rules about luggage, practice session timings and travel/stay with the team are anyways logical. But, even the one about family time (14 days in log tours and 7 days in small ones), seems fine to me. Keeping in mind, the whole Indian Team had only 1-2 team dinners in this 45-day-long tour, speaks volumes. In a team sport, especially Cricket, there is something called team binding, which can’t function if half of the players are out with their families and the other half are leaving and staying separately. So, no you can’t convince me to believe that the rules are not right.

The other directive making participation in domestic cricket mandatory, is also important, keeping in mind the lack of interest even in young players to play domestic, once they get little regular in the team.

Champions Trophy 2025

Now, I know this Indian team has done wonders given me loads of memories to cherish and I can never turn myself into an abusive fan after a few series losses.

As the Champions Trophy 2025 is around the corner after the England series at home, I hope the long white-ball season (including IPL) doesn’t shift the focus from the alarming situation of India’s red-ball unit. I won’t discuss much about the squad and prospects here but I do believe we have got a good enough side to pull it off.

Anyways, Love you always my team and all the best for this and beyond.