With yet another final rapidly veering away from Team India's grasp, the question begs around India's top order. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been the constant candidates since the Kiwis stunned India in the 2019 World Cup final at the Old Trafford in Manchester. Fast forward to the present, the duo is yet to step up as the 2023 WTC final moves beyond salvage.
Rohit and Kohli were arguably India's most key players in the 2019 World Cup. Rohit mustered five centuries in the tournament, but failed to negate the testing conditions before him in the semi-final. Kohli, who played a handful of vital innings without scoring a hundred, fell cheaply too. It was his third successive failure in an ODI World Cup semi-final as New Zealand progressed to the final.
Even at present, Rohit and Kohli are no less and shoulder the expectations of millions, but haven't fulfilled it. Their performances in the 2019 World Cup final, 2021 World Test Championship final, and the first innings of the 2023 World Test Championship final are testaments to that. Heading into the 2023 WTC final, the decorated batting pair hoped to right the wrongs of their contest against New Zealand. They have at least failed the first examination and it's not about to get any easier.
Rohit made a jittery start, but a productive one before a nip-backer from Pat Cummins pinned him in front of the stumps. Kohli walked out to the crease under immense pressure as Scott Boland cleaned up Shubman Gill, who tried to leave the ball. Cheteshwar Pujara underwent a carbon copy dismissal, but it was the towering Cameron Green On the day, the 34-year-old's luck deserted him as Mitchell Starc's corker of a delivery mixed with extra bounce left him no answer but to edge it to Steve Smith at slip cordon. The right-hander peeled off a couple of incredible drives before going back to the pavilion for 14.
It has also invited the question of whether Kohli and Rohit carry the scars of India's long-standing failure in the grandest stages. With 2013 being the most-recent year of India's ICC Trophy, Rohit and Kohli are bound to have some. Perhaps the highest expectation was from Pujara, who not only stands up like a warrior against Australia, but has peeled off centuries in county cricket recently.
Bowlers let India down on a tricky batting track:
After winning the toss under overcast conditions, India hoped to make the most of the new ball and succeeded by removing the in-form Usman Khawaja cheaply. However, the bowlers took the foot of the gas by allowing freebies to David Warner. By the time Warner perished, he had done significant damage.
Nevertheless, it was the 285-run stand between Steve Smith and Travis Head that broke the back of India's bowling unit, not least the latter's counterattacking century. With India using the short-pitch deliveries minimally against Head, it proved to be a 'what if' moment when a similar ball got him for 163.
Yet, India staged a promising comeback, bowling Australia out for 469 when crossing 500 seemed on the cards. Nevertheless, there was a sense that Australia have comfortably climbed in the driver's seat and it was further solidified with two wickets before Tea break.
Ajinkya Rahane, making his return into the side, already has a task of helping India stage a comeback of epic proportions. He currently has the inexperienced KS Bharat, who has an excellent opportunity to get some runs under his belt after a dry home season against the same opposition. Rahane's first goal should be to stay unbeaten in the first session of day three, followed by helping India void the follow-on. Rahane has performed a handful of rescue acts, but it is now that his team needs him the most.
