After the disaster in Indore, India's wait for its second World Tennis Championship final extends to Ahmedabad.
The defeat in Indore put India in a do-or-die situation as Rohit Sharma's India need to now focus on qualifying for the World Test Championship final instead of trying out combinations for the summit clash against Australia at The Oval.
Ankush Pandey
India's defeat in Indore put them in a precarious position because they must now concentrate on qualifying for the World Test Championship final rather than experimenting with combinations for their summit match against Australia at The Oval.
"That definitely has a chance of happening. We have already discussed it."
When discussing how to get ready for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in Ahmedabad, India captain Rohit Sharma said these words. The tone of the statement suggested that India wanted to reserve their spot in the WTC final as soon as possible. However, India's shocking nine-wicket defeat against Australia in the third Test was caused by greed.
On the eve of the third Test, Rohit stated, "If we get the result we want here (Indore), we might think of doing something different in Ahmedabad for sure." India, the hosts who had won the first two matches to keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, tinkered with their procedure, which backfired on the team.
India was put in a precarious position after the defeat because Rohit's team must now concentrate on qualifying for the World Test Championship final rather than experimenting with combinations for the summit match at The Oval. In contrast, Australia advanced to the final thanks to the leadership of Steve Smith, who took over for Pat Cummins.
In the first two Tests, Rohit and India won all of their matches. Rohit returned to red-ball cricket after missing the Bangalore Test against Sri Lanka in March 2022. And his comeback was successful. In Nagpur, Rohit scored a hundred against Australia.
When Rohit showed Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin fighting for the ball, the mood in the dressing room was also playful. Both spinners took wickets in Nagpur and Delhi while playing mind games with Australia.
After that, what went wrong?
The Indian team got some time off on Day 3 of the Delhi Test, but the players didn't continue their preparation for the Indore Test, where they were greeted on a turning track. Instead, they were busy with their various commitments. In the meantime, despite losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia was able to reap the benefits of its laborious efforts.
India's top request surrendered before Australia, who were tormented with a few wounds and compelled to make switches in their line-around. Nathan Lyon returned with 11 wickets and Matthew Kuhnemann picked up his first five-wicket haul as Australia roared back to beat India by nine wickets. India cannot afford to take a chance at the Narendra Modi Stadium, whereas Australia, which has nothing to lose, would try to improve in Ahmedabad. What will India do to qualify for the WTC final now remains a question.
What is India's obligation?
Rohit Sharma, the captain, and Rahul Dravid, the coach, are in a precarious position where a lineup change could either propel India into the final or cause Sri Lanka to lose. India will remain tied with Australia in the WTC final if they win in Ahmedabad; however, if India loses, Sri Lanka will enter the picture.
Sri Lanka is planning to play two Tests against New Zealand. India will advance without a hitch if the island nation fails to win either match against New Zealand or draws with them. On March 9, India will face Australia in the fourth and final Test.
