India Cricket

A World Cup winner four years ago, India's leading batsman Virat Kohli explains why repeating the achievement in Australia this year would mean even more.

Do you believe India can win another World Cup?

We have a very good chance as we have a strong squad, but it is a very open field; lots of teams could win it. Every team likes to go for their shots and can beat the other teams.

Would winning this World Cup be more special than 2011?

Yes, I believe winning it this year would be more special than four years ago because it will be harder away from home in Australia, and it would mean we had won back-to-back World Cups, which India has never achieved in the past. I think winning it again would also prove we were a real quality side, and like the Australians we could win it at consecutive tournaments. I can only imagine what it would be like to lift the trophy in Melbourne. I want that feeling.

What would it mean to you to win the World Cup again?

This is the biggest sporting event there is for Indians. It is the most important tournament we can ever hope to win. I have won it once before, and it was an unbelievable feeling, so I want to experience that all over again. It only comes around once every four years so you have to grasp your opportunity.

How is this team different to the World Cup winners of 2011?

In 2011 I was just delighted to be a part of the squad, I was simply happy to be playing alongside so many legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. But now I am one of the senior players, I have played around 150 one-day games, and so things are very different. I like the challenge of trying to win the World Cup as one of the senior players. I want to take up this challenge and really go for it, and I have been doing well recently.

Do you enjoy being one of the leaders of the side now?

I am really enjoying the added responsibility of this role, and I think being a senior player has suited me. It helps to motivate me and keep me focused on the field at all times.

But do you also feel more pressure in this role?

I really don’t feel pressure; I just enjoy my cricket. This is a good pressure. I like being the man the team looks at to score runs. Having this role helps to motivate me and get me in the zone.

What else motivates you when you’re batting?

Motivation comes easy to me. I just look down at the India logo on my shirt. It all just comes naturally to me. I don’t need to make an effort. I don’t feel fear or pressure. Every player can feel a bit nervous, but I like the challenge of how you overcome that.

How do you get yourself in to the zone out in the middle?

I am constantly telling myself to believe in myself. You know, just saying ‘Believe’ over and over again to remind myself, because I know I can always execute any shot I want.

During the recent Test series you said the Australian cricketers called you a “spoilt brat” and the crowd booed you. Does that ever bother you?

No, not at all. It gave me great confidence. It just makes me realise that I am an important wicket for them. You can either get nervous or use it to motivate yourself, and I made it work in my favour.

What would you still like to achieve in the game?

I want us to become a strong Test side again, and become the No. 1-ranked Test side again. I believe we can do it. I don’t have any individual milestones I want to pass. I don’t set those goals. When I get to the last day of my career I will have a look at my stats, but until then I am not really bothered.

Sunil Gavaskar said you are capable of beating Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 one-day international centuries. Do you think that is possible?

I am currently on 21, and I didn’t expect to get there so quickly. I don’t really look at these things too much, I just like the way I am batting lately. If something nice happens along the way then great, but I haven’t set myself the task of breaking Sachin’s record. My motivation is to win as many games as I can.

What did you learn from playing with Tendulkar?

It was fascinating to observe his composure in everything he did, but I suppose what stood out for me was his work ethic, which I have tried to follow. He was never satisfied with his game, and you could always find him in the nets hitting balls. He never took a break. He also had a great passion and love for the game.

And off the field, what did you take from Tendulkar’s approach?

As a man he taught me to be humble. Never be arrogant. He would simplify everything in his life. He was never fussy. He was never cranky. From Sachin, I learned to be happy and enjoy it all.

Do you still love the game as much as ever?

I love the game more than ever; it is the one thing in life that stays consistent. I love walking out to bat and scoring runs. It is when I am at my most focused and happiest.

All quotes obtained firsthand

Virat Kohli was just 22 when he helped India win the World Cup in 2011.

Still relatively wet behind the ears having played only the 45 one-day games, the batsman made 35 from 49 balls in the final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

Perhaps, though, the more memorable contribution he made to the day came after the match had finished.

The great Sachin Tendulkar made just 18 with the bat but still ended up as a World Cup winner at the sixth, and final, attempt.

During the celebrations, Kohli helped carry his compatriot aloft during a lap of honour around the Wankhede Stadium, Tendulkar's home ground.

When asked about his actions, Kohli responded (h/t cricketcountry.com): “Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders.”

His quote, so soon after India had triumphed in a match they were under immense pressure to win in front of their own supporters, was rather poetic. He understood the importance of Tendulkar for more than just the runs he scored.

Now, though, that burden no longer sits on the shoulders of the Little Master.

Instead, Kohli is the centre of attention. He is the darling of India's besotted fans. The young man who spoke so eloquently after the last final is the one carrying the hopes of a cricket-mad nation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_iwDUrXoQs

In the four years since that 2011 final, Kohli has continued to blossom as an international star.

He has already scored over 6,000 runs and hit 21 centuries in one-day cricket; an astonishing number considering he’s 26. It is quite possible that, as a batsman, he’s only just entering his prime.

There is a long way for him to go to catch Tendulkar's career tally of 18,426 runs but records are there to be broken.

Kohli's form is understandably better on the Indian pitches he is more accustomed to, but he is not just a back-yard bully: He averages 49.09 when playing abroad in 50-over cricket, while only one of his five highest scores in the format has come on home soil (h/t ESPN Cricinfo):

Score	Opponents	Venue
183	Pakistan	Dhaka
139 n/o	Sri Lanka	Ranchi
136	Bangladesh	Fatullah
133 n/o	Sri Lanka	Hobart
128 n/o	Sri Lanka	Colombo

He has also developed a wonderful reputation for being the master of a run chase; he has made 14 of his 21 ODI centuries in such circumstances, averaging 64.27 when India bat second.

To go with the classical technique there is a ruthless streak running through Kohli. He is alive to the match situation but never succumbs to scoreboard pressure.

Speaking to NDTV, former India coach Gary Kirsten—who was in charge during the 2011 World Cup­—underlined the importance of Kohli to the current team: “Virat is the key from India's point of view. The way he is batting, his approach, the way he understands the situation and reacts, that is the key.”

The we had @imVkohli with this brilliant #VineBooth Magic! https://t.co/iNU9m0K71V

— ICC (@ICC) February 7, 2015

Kohli’s one-day performances of late have been a little concerning; he made just 24 runs in four games in the Carlton Mid One-Day International Tri-Series.

However, it is not long ago that the right-hander hit 692 runs, including four centuries, in the four-Test series against Australia.

India need him to get somewhere near that kind of form again; they also have question marks over their bowling, not helped by the loss of Ishant Sharma, per the Guardian.

There are also concerns over the construction of the top order, meaning it is not quite known yet if Kohli will bat at three or four in the order.

Rohit Sharma has had his injury problems, while his usual opening partner, Shikhar Dhawan, has found scores tough to come by during a long, arduous tour that now climaxes with a long, arduous World Cup.

No matter when he comes in, though, Kohli is the key man. His wicket is the one opposing bowlers value the most.

If he can play a starring role in helping India retain their crown, perhaps he will be the one being carried around the MCG in Melbourne on Mar. 29.

When Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman in Zaire back in 1974, he used a technique famously branded “rope-a-dope” to upset the odds and become world champion again.

A heavy underdog against a bigger, more powerful puncher, Ali lured his previously undefeated opponent into a trap. Leaning back and with his guard held high, he withstood constant punishment as he allowed Foreman to punch himself out.

In the end, The People's Champion was the one who delivered the knockout blow, stunning not just Foreman but the sporting world. 

There is a case to suggest that India’s cricket team might be doing something similar to their rivals—and the media—right now. Either that, or the defence of their World Cup crown could be rather disappointing.

Defeat to England at the WACA on Friday ended India’s involvement in the Carlton Mid One-Day International Tri Series.

It was, in truth, a rather forgettable experience for India.

They did threaten to sucker punch England after being bowled out for 200 on a Perth pitch that started tacky at the toss and offered variable bounce throughout.

However, half-centuries from James Taylor and Jos Buttler saw Eoin Morgan's side over the line.

Last time India played 3 or more matches without a win in an ODI tournament was in Sharjah Cup 1997 (lost 3 games to Pak, WI, Eng).

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) January 30, 2015

In the end, India might be rather thankful they do not have to play in Sunday’s final (particularly as it will be played on the same surface at the WACA).

Instead, they can rest their weary bodies after a long, arduous tour to Australia that saw them finish with the sum total of zero wins. Their efforts have taken a toll, and a break might be better than another match.

It should really come as no surprise that India have looked a little lethargic in the one-dayers. After all, their schedule over the past 12 months has been ridiculously tough.

They were in New Zealand in February 2014, participated in the Asia Cup in March, then quickly moved on to the ICC World Twenty20. A tour to England followed, during which they played in five Tests, five one-dayers and a solitary T20 fixture. 

There was a brief return home before travelling to Australia but little time to rest, as they hosted both West Indies and Sri Lanka in ODI action.

The death of Phillip Hughes prior to the Test series in Australia led to the four-match series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy becoming even more condensed. They fought hard, but went down 2-0.

The performances of Virat Kohli with the bat at least gave India's fanatical support something to cheer.

The runs dried up, though, after swapping his whites for India's all-blue one-day strip.

Kohli scored 692 in Test action at an average of 86.50—he managed 24 in four innings in 50-over cricket.

The manner of his dismissal against England in the final round-robin match suggested a frazzled mind, as well as body. He picked out Joe Root at long-off with such precision that the fielder barely had to move to take the catch off Moeen Ali's bowling.

Shikhar Dhawan did fare better than Kohli in the series. He managed a grand total of 49 runs in four trips to the middle. Since the start of 2014, the left-hander has averaged 64.50 on home soil in 50-over cricket, per ESPN Cricinfo, compared to 27.40 overseas.

His form is a major concern heading into the World Cup, as it leaves India with a selection dilemma over the opening berth.

Ajinkya Rahane could replace the struggling Dhawan. India initially used him in the series at three, with Kohli at four. Whoever is chosen for the role, it will have ramifications for the entire batting order. 

Rohit Sharma is a certainty to start, fitness permitting. He made 138 in India’s loss to Australia at Melbourne but did not play again in the triangular tournament due to a nagging hamstring injury, per India Today. 

With Suresh Raina another player out of sorts and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni scoring at an uncharacteristically slow strike rate of 56.45, India’s star-studded lineup looks a little fragile right now.

That is worrying, considering batting is viewed as their major strength.

Their bowling, in contrast, was always seen as more of a question mark. They lack a real wicket-taking threat and cannot be as reliant on their spinners as they would be if playing on the slow, low pitches they are accustomed to at home.

Stuart Binny—an all-rounder—finished as their leading bowler in the series with four wickets. No one else managed more than two.

With that being said, leading spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and reliable seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar played sparingly in the tournament.

15 days to the WC and India's new ball bowlers are Binny and Mohit. One is in as an all-rounder and the other is not in the squad #ENGvIND

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) January 30, 2015

Ishant Sharma managed one appearance but did not send down a single delivery. Dhoni declared the seamer fit to feature before the rained-off game against Australia, per India Blooms, yet Sharma was then absent from the team that played England four days later.

His lack of match action is one of a number of major concerns for India, who begin their World Cup campaign against fierce rivals Pakistan on Feb. 15.

The fixture list sees them then face South Africa, though things do get a little easier for them in Pool B.

They finish the group stages in New Zealand with games against Ireland and Zimbabwe. They may be glad by then just to get out of Australia, even if it is only by making the short trip across the Tasman Sea.

Still, perhaps Dhoni's squad are just luring us all in. Just as Ali proved in the “Rumble In The Jungle,” you write a proven heavyweight off at your peril.

They may be on the ropes right now, but you can expect India to come out swinging in the World Cup. 

Andrew Strauss and Sourav Ganguly played pivotal roles for England and India respectively during their international careers.

Both left-handed batsmen not only contributed plenty of runs, they also led their national teams with distinction.

Strauss captained his country 50 times in Test action. His record of 24 wins makes him the second-most successful skipper in England’s long history, behind only Michael Vaughan.

Ganguly won 21 of his 49 Test matches in charge, while he is the only India skipper to have ever won a series in Pakistan.

They share similar statistical records as individual players and leaders, but who was the better batsman/captain?

Andrew Strauss 

	Test career	ODI career
Appearances	100	127
Runs	7,037	4,205
Average	40.91	35.63
Centuries	21	6

A former Radley College pupil who earned an economics degree from Durham University, Strauss had to wait until he was 26 to make his international bow.

The Middlesex batsman was first picked by England in their one-day team, with his chance in the Test arena not arriving until 2004 when he was selected as a replacement for the injured Vaughan.

Handed a debut at his home ground of Lord’s, he hit 112 in his maiden innings. He also made a hundred on his first appearance for England overseas, against South Africa—the country where he was born—at Port Elizabeth.

Strauss had his first taste of Test captaincy in 2006, standing in for Vaughan during the home series against Pakistan. However, he was overlooked in favour of Andrew Flintoff for the disastrous Ashes tour that winter.

He was eventually handed the job on a permanent basis in 2009 following the dismissals of captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores.

While his first match in charge was a disaster—England were dismissed for 51 by West Indies in Jamaica to suffer an innings defeat— he quickly formed a strong working relationship with team director Andy Flower.

Under Strauss’ stewardship, England enjoyed Ashes success—both at home and in Australia—while a series sweep of India in the summer of 2011 pushed them to the summit of the Test rankings.

They stayed there until the following year, when defeat to South Africa saw them surrender top spot. Strauss retired from all forms of cricket after the final Test against the Proteas. It was his 100th for England and also his 50th at the helm.

Career highlight: 177 vs. New Zealand

His hundred on debut at Lord’s was special, but Strauss’ England career may well have come to a rather premature end had he not made runs in Napier early in 2008.

Recalled to bat in the middle order after a lean time of it in 2007, he continued to struggle for runs until his final chance in the New Zealand series. He produced his highest Test score from 343 balls, having spent over eight hours at the crease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg7UvjPgLCE

Sourav Ganguly 

	Test career	ODI career
Appearances	113	311
Runs	7,212	11,363
Average	42.17	41.02
Centuries	16	22

Nicknamed “The Prince of Calcutta” having been born into a wealthy family in the city, Ganguly was a player who scored runs with a touch of class.

He made his debut for India in 1992 at the age of 19 in a one-day game against West Indies, but he was not picked again by his country for a further four years. 

Like Strauss, Ganguly marked his Test debut at Lord’s with a century. Rahul Dravid also made his first appearance for India in the same match; the duo would go on to become cornerstones of the India side for over a decade.

While Dravid became known as “The Wall” for his ability to keep out opponents, there was nothing defensive about the way Ganguly played.

The left-hander became renowned for his glorious shots through the off side, offering the full face of what always looked a ridiculously big bat to anything even slightly too full from the bowler.

Together with Sachin Tendulkar, the man he replaced as captain in 2000, Ganguly was one half of the most prolific opening partnership in 50-over cricket, per Howstat.com.

He steered India to the World Cup final in 2003, where they lost out to Australia and was his nation’s most successful skipper in Test cricket until recently, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni taking the record from him.

A loss of form and a very public falling out with coach Greg Chappell saw him lose not only the captaincy but also his place in the team. Chappell would later go on to write in his autobiography, per the Times of India: “Sourav had great batting and leadership talent, but never realised his potential because he was consumed by what he saw as the threats around him.”

He returned to the international fold and would go on to reach the landmark of 100 Tests—as well as also featuring in over 300 one-day games—before announcing his retirement in 2008.

Career highlight: 239 vs. Pakistan

There are few things sweeter for an Indian batsman than scoring runs against Pakistan. Ganguly recorded his career best against India’s neighbours in December of 2007.

He hit 30 fours and two sixes during the third and final Test in Bangalore. The match would eventually finish in a draw, meaning India took the series 1-0.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWtG9gsyVU

Final verdict

There is much to admire about the international careers of both men.

Strauss was an elegant player who loved to cut and drive the ball square of the wicket on the off side, although his favoured area of scoring also proved his downfall as opposing teams worked him out.

However, he showed real strength of character to come through a seriously lean stretch midway through his career and prosper again at the top level.

Although he was a skipper that often wore a smile rather than a scowl out on the field, Strauss was far from a soft touch.

Ganguly was also a tough cookie to come up against. He did not mind confrontation, even seeming to revel in it at times on the field.

He will perhaps always be remembered more for his one-day exploits, and his alliance at the top of the order with Tendulkar was both beautiful and brutal.

Often Ganguly would look to move his front leg out of the way and hit powerfully down the ground or over the top of cover. It helped, too, that in the 50-over game he could not be peppered with too many short deliveries.

But, with Test cricket still valued as the pinnacle of the sport, Strauss’ achievements during his time in charge of England just get him the nod.

Winner: Andrew Strauss

Prior to this Carlton Mid Tri-Series, if you'd been asked to describe what Shikhar Dhawan, Ian Bell and James Taylor had in common, you'd have likely been left scratching your head until you'd rid your scalp of every last hair follicle. 

Dhawan, of course, is the one-day specialist, a flamboyant dasher and the prototypical modern opener. Bell is the classic stroke maker possessing the most graceful of games. And Taylor is the diminutive and plucky accumulator who continues to surprise.

From styles to height and career records to facial hair, the trio—before this World Cup prelude—had little in common. If anything at all.

But they do now: In the space of three days, each has been dismissed in the first over of a match in this series by Mitchell Starc. 

Two afternoons, two opening overs, 12 balls, three wickets, two ducks dished out and two contests seized within minutes. 

For the left-armer, it's a huge boost. For George Bailey—and possibly Michael Clarke later in the summer—it's a huge advantage.

Yet, for MS Dhoni and India, as made evident in Melbourne on Sunday, it's a huge headache. And it's an example of what's missing in their own bowling stocks, underlining the new-ball deficiencies that exist within team India. 

At the MCG, like it had been against England in Sydney on Friday, Starc's new-ball excellence was the catalyst in Australia's four-wicket triumph over India.

Five balls into the match, he had Dhawan—India's one-man launch button in 50-over cricket, who, despite his Test limitations, averages almost 45 in this format and collects them at a strike rate of 90. 

When facing India, his wicket is among the most prized; he sets the tone and is something of a barometer for this side. And Starc had the concoction to do something out it: pace (lots of it), hostility and late movement in the air. Basically, a wrecking-ball blend.

India had been immediately pegged back. And in truth, they never really broke free after that—not helped by Starc's return later on to finish the innings off and claim figures of six for 43. It was the latest in a long line of fine one-day performances, taking his career figures in the format to 59 wickets from 30 games at an average of 20.11. With five hauls of four wickets, four hauls of five or more and a strike rate under 25. 

In coloured clothing (forget the Test arena for the moment), the 24-year-old is as good as it gets. He might even be Australia's trump card. 

"Mitch [Starc] bowled really well, Rohit played brilliantly," Dhoni said after the loss, per ESPN Cricinfo. "But what was crucial was bowling with the new ball."

Dhoni, speaking about both his own team and the opposition on Sunday, clearly recognises the issue. But it's whether he can do anything about it that is the real concern. 

After Starc's impressive spell, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami neatly illustrated India's problem. With his first over—the second of the innings—Yadav conceded 13. Taken out of the attack for the next over from that end, Shami replaced his team-mate and gave away nine more.

Two overs, fourteen balls (some short, most wide), two wides, four boundaries and 22 runs essentially donated to Australia.

Starc's first over had snatched the initiative; Yadav and Shami's first overs simply handed it away. 

In one-day cricket, where the margins are as tight as they are, that, right there, is what separates the sides ahead of the World Cup. 

Of course, the counter argument is that, in 50-over cricket, India's fortunes so often rest with the nation's array of explosive batsmen—not the practically forgotten bowlers.

When Australia visited the subcontinent for a seven-match ODI series in 2013, the home side consistently proved too powerful with the blade. Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma all went through the series with averages and strike rates above 100. 

But such examples aren't applicable here. Not ahead of this World Cup in Australia, anyway.

India get away with their new-ball problem at home because the subcontinental pitches are a leveller of bowling ability; on a flat, lifeless surface in Mumbai, the difference between players such as Starc and Yadav is dramatically reduced. 

Australian pitches, however, have the opposite effect. Fast, lively and offering a touch of assistance to those skilled enough to use it, they accentuate the discrepancy in ability between international bowlers. 

Thus, the resulting contest takes on a vastly different complexion. Whereas in India—where the limitations of the hosts' seam attack in comparison with that of their visitors aren't exposed—Dhoni's men can enjoy the relative comfort of a batting slug fest, the conditions Down Under reward balanced outfits capable of thriving in either discipline.

As Starc has done in consecutive games against England and India, matches can effectively be won in the opening five overs if the new ball is utilised to full effect.

India, worryingly, look devoid of that ability. They've spent the large part of an Australian summer showing us so. 

And in Australia, away from the comforts of home, their explosive batting strength can't truly compensate for it. 

Starc's excellence on Sunday reinforced exactly that.

Follow @TimDCollins

One of the most commonly held perceptions regarding human behaviour is that we're all products of our surrounds. Though some will disagree, and while others will point to exceptions, the view is that surround yourself with something long enough and it will eventually shape the fabric of who you are. 

In that sense, India's Lokesh Rahul and Rohit Sharma stand both as notable and contrasting examples.

Rahul is a player who's bucked the modern trend. A 22-year-old who's modelled his game on that of Rahul Dravid—a man with whom he shares both a name and a long-standing, pupil-mentor style relationship—India's newest Test player has made his ascension to the national team via the almost-forgotten path of first-class cricket. 

As an 18-year-old in 2010, he made his debut for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy. Since, he's represented his state on 18 occasions, and in 2013-14, played a starring role in Karnataka's run to the title. He's also represented South Zone at first-class level and has spent time touring with India A. 

When he made his Test debut at the MCG in Melbourne, Rahul had never played a limited-overs contest for his country. Not one. 

In short, his path has been a traditional one, not modern. 

He's honed his craft in whites. Against a red ball. Across four—and sometimes five—days. 

Season	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50
2010-11	3	5	0	105	61	21.00	232	45.25	0	1
2011-12	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2012-13	5	9	1	400	157	50.00	728	54.94	1	2
2013-14	10	17	2	1033	158	68.86	2103	49.12	3	4

Rohit is the polar opposite. The other end of the spectrum. 

He's now 27, five years and 12 days older than Rahul. He made his first-class debut in 2006 when Rahul was 14. Despite being closer to 30 than he is 20, he's played just 67 first-class games. And not a single one in the Ranji Trophy since December 2012. 

If he looked across at the opposing team, he'd also see the sparkling form of stand-in Australian captain Steve Smith—a man two years his junior with more first-class appearances than him and who still represents New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield at every available opportunity (see his 2013-14 record). 

But that's not Rohit. Though not born and raised in the Twenty20 era, he's the most modern of cricketers. He's an Indian Premier League star. At times, a one-day phenomenon. The only player in history with two double centuries in one-day cricket.

One of the breed to have forged the identity of his game in coloured clothing and against a white ball. In frenzied arenas with cheerleaders, LED-lit stumps and questionable DJs. 

It shows.  

On Day 3 of the fourth Test against Australia in Sydney, Rohit muddled his way dreamily to 53. Rahul strode purposefully to 110. 

The contrast in their performances was severe. 

Rahul, despite playing in just his second Test, was full of clarity, knowing what was required because this is his format. On a day that started in an attritional manner, he had a clear method. One that's been proven to work. One he's developed precisely for the Test arena. 

In defence he was resolute, blocking balls with absolute authority. In attack he was poised, driving, cutting and pulling with conviction. Though there were some shaky moments—a mix-up between the wickets with Virat Kohli, a skied pull shot dropped by Smith and his eventual dismissal—they were sparse in a mature showing from a player of a tender age. 

At the other end, Rohit just did was Rohit does: He squirted defensive shots to gully, pushed ball after ball straight to fielders, never looked to push singles, never changed his position on the crease, was never proactive, attacked by going needlessly aerial and spent almost an entire session looking in a daze. 

His boundary to reach his half-century was classic Rohit: Smooth but too casual, struck recklessly on the up, hit at catching height through the field and fortunate not to go to hand. 

Those runs were the last he made. The next ball he faced he tried to sweep Nathan Lyon from several feet outside off-stump and was bowled. 

It's often said about Rohit that he looks as though he's batting in the nets where the outcome doesn't count.

This was yet another of those days. Maybe he needs LED lights to stimulate his senses. 

Earlier in this series, former captain MS Dhoni spoke at length of Rohit's ongoing malaise, per Sidharth Monga of ESPN Cricinfo.

If you see Rohit, he has been criticised for not making the most of the chances he has got.

Even in the ODIs. But we kept giving him chances because we believe that he's an excellent cricketer. Once he crosses that phase, he'll be really good for the Indian cricket team.

Now you can really see that kind of performance from him in the ODI circuit. We feel he can contribute in Test cricket also. We'll have to give him ample opportunity.

In truth, it's easy to see what Dhoni and India see in Rohit. At the crease, he can look like VVS Laxman, like he's set out to be an Indian Mark Waugh. But Waugh, even the genuine one, was an unfulfilled talent. Dravid, who the young Rahul is looking to replicate, is the fourth highest Test run scorer of all time. 

On Thursday in Sydney, they looked very much like those respective predecessors—Rohit all style; Rahul all substance. 

Of course, there are so many who hope Rohit can become the player Dhoni and India's team management believe he can be. But the thinking expressed by Dhoni, the belief that "once he crosses that phase" he will blossom in Test cricket, is flawed. 

For skills are honed through consistent graft, not suddenly acquired. And despite the wider view that things such as concentration, application and diligence (the qualities Rohit appears to lack) are some kind of personality traits, they're actually talents and skills—they can be worked on, developed and enhanced through incessant repetition.

They're just like a cover drive: Some people are naturally better than others but one can close the gap through persistence. 

But how is India's paradoxical right-hander—a player who needs to work on such skills more than most—ever going to achieve that by spending the bulk of his time hitting white balls over short boundaries for six overs as a DJ drops his 83rd repeat of the night?

The answer: He's not. 

If Rohit looked down to the other end to observe his partner on Thursday, he'd have seen Rahul reaping the benefits of taking a different path. A player five years his junior who was showing him the way. 

Follow @TimDCollins

Virat Kohli and Lokesh Rahul scored centuries as India moved to the brink of avoiding the follow-on on Day 3 of the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Kohli is unbeaten on 140, while Rahul made 110 in only his second Test. The tourists finished the day on 342-5 in reply to Australia's first innings of 572-7 declared.

The pair put on 141 for the third wicket with new India captain Kohli completing his fourth century of the series and 22-year-old Rahul notching his maiden international ton after scores of three and one on debut in Melbourne.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Vijay	c Haddin	b Starc	0	2	3
Rahul	c and b Starc		110	355	262
Ro Sharma		b Lyon	53	182	133
Kohli	not out		140	292	214
Rahane	lbw	b Watson	13	55	31
Raina	c Haddin	b Watson	0		1
Saha	not out		14	62	50
Extras		4nb 1w 1b 6lb	12
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Starc		21	4	77	2
Harris		23	6	63	0
Hazlewood		20	5	45	0
Lyon		32	7	91	1
Watson		15	4	42	2
Smith		4	0	17	0

The tourists began the day on 71-1 and made a cautious start with just 19 runs coming in the opening hour.

Nathan Lyon made the breakthrough after drinks when Rohit Sharma, having added only six runs to his overnight 47, underedged an attempted sweep and the ball rolled on to the stumps.

BREAKTHROUGH! Nathan Lyon clean bowls #India batsman Rohit Sharma! #AUSvIND #cricket https://t.co/izWndig5u4

— fanatix (@therealfanatix) January 8, 2015

India progressed to 122-2 at lunch with Kohli and Rahul then adding 112 runs in the afternoon session.

Opener Rahul, who started the day on 41, reached his century from 253 balls by guiding Mitchell Starc past gully and to the boundary.

Lokesh Rahul (22y-265d) youngest Indian to make a maiden Test 100 overseas since Ajay Ratra (20y-150d) at St John's in May 2002#AusvInd

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) January 8, 2015

Rahul departed in the second over after tea when he top-edged an attempted pull off Starc who took the steepling return catch.

Shane Watson then nipped in with wickets in consecutive balls to hinder India's momentum and expose their shaky tail.

Two quick wickets for Shane Watson and didn't he enjoy it! #ohwhatafeelinghttps://t.co/6Llux3tFk7

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 8, 2015

Ajinkya Rahane (13) missed an attempted pull and was adjudged lbw, although replays showed that the ball would have gone over off-stump, and Suresh Raina's first Test innings since 2012 only lasted one ball as he edged behind to Brad Haddin who took a fine diving catch to his left.

Suresh Raina now 7 ducks after 30 inns. Among top order Indian batsman only Pankaj Roy - 7 ducks after 24 inns has a worse record#AusvInd

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) January 8, 2015

However, Kohli stood firm, hitting 20 boundaries in his 214-ball knock. He will start Day 4 at the crease with keeper Wriddhiman Saha (14 not out).

4 - most Test 100s in a single series for India
Sunil Gavaskar 1971 in WI
Sunil Gavaskar 1978/79 v WI
Virat Kohli 2014/15 in Aus #AusvInd

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) January 8, 2015

Australia have already won the four-match series after victories in the first two Tests. 

India released their official squad for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup on Tuesday, and while the final selection of 15 players didn't see any real surprises, controversy still arose over the exclusion of several big names.

Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa all didn't make the cut, while Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma were selected despite recent injury concerns. Mohit Sharma and Amit Mishra are also absent.

The full Indian squad:

MS Dhoni (captain)	R Ashwin
Shikhar Dhawan	Akshar Patel
Rohit Sharma	Ishant Sharma
Virat Kohli	Mohammed Shami
Ajinkya Rahane	Umesh Yadav
Suresh Raina	Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Ambati Rayudu	Stuart Binny
Ravindra Jadeja

The defending champions selected a particularly young squad for the upcoming tournament, as just four members on the team have previously appeared at a World Cup, per ESPN Cricinfo.

The inexperience will be felt heaviest in the bowling department, with Jadeja leading the team with 134 career wickets, according to Sportskeeda's Renton.

In total, the squad has five batsmen, two wicketkeeper-batsmen, three all-rounders, four seamers and one specialist spinner. Sharma and Dhawal Kulkarni will travel to Australia with the team to participate in the one-day tri-series after the Tests.

Sharma's exclusion from the final squad will come as a particular blow after he bagged himself a hat-trick just hours before the final 15 were announced, via ESPN Cricinfo:

Hours before the World Cup squad is announced, Mohit Sharma takes a hat-trick in the Ranji Trophy http://t.co/UUk07dt3yT

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 6, 2015

Speaking on Jadeja and Ishant, the two players currently carrying injuries, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel told reporters the duo are close to returning to the pitch, per ESPN Cricinfo:

Jadeja is at present going under a rehabilitation programme. He is doing wonderfully well. We had a detailed discussion today with the BCCI physio [Nitin Patel] and we are quite hopeful he will be match-fit within the next ten days.

Ishant has a temporary injury with which he is doing well. But he has been advised by our present [team] physio not to play the current Test [in Sydney]. He will be fit for the tri-series.

Fans and pundits were particularly disappointed with the exclusion of Yuvraj, who has been one of the nation's top ODI players in recent years. Actor Angad Bedi voiced what most appeared to think:

@YUVSTRONG12 has won you 2 world cups..he's a big match player. Scored 3 back to back big hundreds in first class cricket. @BCCI big letdown

— ANGAD BISHAN SINGH BEDI (@Imangadbedi) January 7, 2015

The 33-year-old has been up and down in the past two years but put together a string of solid performances in the past two months, and his powerful bat would have been a welcome addition to a young lineup lacking in big-match experience.

The one selection that has social media up in arms is Stuart Binny, however. Conspiracy theorists immediately pointed to his father Roger Binny being a part of the selection committee, as his son's play hardly seems to justify a spot in the squad.

Binny isn't a particularly successful pace bowler and his bat won't be adding a big amount of runs, either. The 30-year-old likely won't be seeing many overs at the expense of a spinner, but his selection does give Dhoni a versatile piece to play with when it suits him.

The all-rounder will be closely scrutinised during the 2015 World Cup, but if he can replicate his Indian Premier League form, Binny should be fine.

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Despite the helicopter shots and the long hair that marked his early introduction into international cricket, there has always been something slightly understated about Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

When it came to bringing the curtain down on his Test career, he could not have chosen a quieter way to do it.

Having helped India survive for a draw in the third Test against Australia in Melbourne—a result that was not enough to keep the series alive—the touring skipper went through the protocol of his post-match press conferences without ever mentioning it would be his last match.

Then, just as it seemed the dust had settled at the MCG and everyone was starting to think about moving on to Sydney for New Year, the BCCI released a statement that forced journalists back to their computers and left a nation questioning the timing and the reasoning behind the sudden announcement.

Respect to MS Dhoni for retiring from Tests. Plenty have dragged out their careers, he's given India a chance for a fresh start.

— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) December 30, 2014

Dhoni had called it a day. Citing “the strain of playing in all formats,” he abruptly ended his time as a Test player.

No fuss. No fanfare ending. No chance to be cheered by the crowd every time he stepped foot on the field in his finale. Not even a guard of honour from the opposition as he arrived at the crease for his last innings.

Instead, after 90 appearances, Dhoni departed with a four-paragraph press release that didn’t even contain a single quote from the man himself.

Once the initial shock began to wear off, the tributes began to flow. Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Dhoni’s former team-mate Rahul Dravid said the wicketkeeper-batsman had “led more by example than by rhetoric.”

Another old colleague, Sachin Tendulkar, was among those who took to Twitter, per Cricket Country, to praise the 33-year-old for a career that saw him score 4,876 runs, including six centuries, and claim 294 dismissals behind the stumps.

well done on a wonderful career in test cricket @msdhoni. Always enjoyed playing together. Next target 2015 WC my friend!!

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 30, 2014

Dhoni probably took the compliments in his stride. That is the way he has always tried to deal with any situation, positive or negative.

In one-day cricket his outlook has been considered cool, calm and calculated. In Tests he was at times accused of not caring. If that was indeed the case, why did he not stop playing long ago? Did it really take him nearly a century of matches to work out it wasn't quite for him?

It must be remembered that he steered his country to the top of the ICC rankings in the longest form of the game, though they have had a lean time of it of late.

His style of captaincy bears no resemblance to his batting. When facing bowlers Dhoni often looks to dominate, sometimes even humiliate. As a leader, he was often viewed as defensive and slow to react.

He came under heavy criticism after the 3-1 series defeat in England; former captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar, per the Guardian, said his selection policies and field placings "lacked common sense." Martin Crowe in his ESPN Cricinfo column suggested India would not miss Dhoni's "strange, often weird, tactics."

Still, Dhoni had not led his team on home soil in a Test since November 2013, during which time they had toured South Africa, New Zealand, England and then Australia.

That is a schedule that would take a toll on any man, even those of a seemingly relaxed disposition.

So, when India host Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2015, it will be under the guidance of newly-appointed skipper Virat Kohli.

The batsman seems unlikely to take a page out of the Dhoni book of leadership—Kohli has shown during the current series with Australia that he is willing to fight fire with fire, both on and off the field.

Some major records that Dhoni holds as Indian captain:
Most Matches- 60
Most wins- 27
Most runs– 3454
Hs inns– 224 (v Aus,2013)
Most 6s- 51

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) December 30, 2014

Kohli, per the Guardian, said after a run-in with Mitchell Johnson during his innings of 169 in Melbourne that he did not mind a little confrontation with the opposition. In fact, he believed it made him a better player. He may find he has to calm himself in certain situations now he has the added responsibility of captaincy resting on his shoulders.

That extra burden has now been lifted from Dhoni, who will get to take a break before he begins to prepare to captain India again in the upcoming World Cup.

There is never more pressure on an India cricketer than a final in your own back yard. In 2011, with his side at 114-3 needing 275 for victory over Sri Lanka in Mumbai, Dhoni decided to take the responsibility himself and go into bat.

Just over two hours later he was unbeaten on 91 and celebrating becoming a world champion. While he admitted afterwards he had felt the pressure during the event, Dhoni had never shown it outwardly.

He will lead India in the defence of their title, but who knows if he will carry on in charge beyond the 2015 tournament.

Do not let the grey flecks on top, or in the facial hair when he lets it grow out, fool you into thinking he is nearing the end of the line. If, though, Dhoni decides to quit international cricket anytime soon, you are unlikely to know about it in advance.

He is one of the game’s great performers in limited-overs cricket, yet it seems from his Test departure that he would rather sneak off back stage than retire to a standing ovation.

Steve Smith scored his fifth hundred of 2014 in the third Test against India. In the same match in Melbourne, Ishant Sharma also reached three figures, albeit in a different way.

Yet while Australia’s in-form captain was raising his bat to the MCG faithful to acknowledge his century on day two, Sharma was not so keen to celebrate when he conceded the 100th run off his bowling.

Ishant Sharma 0/100.
Of course.#austvindia

— Greg Baum (@GregBaum) December 27, 2014

To add to the frustration, he finished up without a wicket to his name. For Sharma, it was a low in a year that has been full of peaks and troughs.

The 26-year-old has taken 36 wickets in eight Test appearances in 2014, all of them away from home, at an average below his career mark (31.75 to 36.88).

He took six wickets in an innings twice on the tour of New Zealand at the start of the year, while also claiming a career-best 7-74 against England as India recorded a famous win at Lord’s.

Yet his failure to make a breakthrough in the Boxing Day Test against Australia was the fourth time in the calendar year he had drawn a blank in an innings.

Back in February, he could not help his team triumph at the Basin Reserve, following up first-innings figures of 6-51 with 0-164 as a triple hundred from Brendon McCullum saved the day for New Zealand.

This is not a personal attack on Sharma, a player who made his Test debut as a teenager back in 2007 and has now sent down more than 12,000 deliveries in his career.

Do not forget that he has had to toil on some unforgiving pitches in India, surfaces that suit spinners, not seamers. India has been a graveyard for visiting pace bowlers in the past, so we should always spare a thought for those who call it home.

He has provided plenty of examples of his obvious talent, none better than when, as a raw bowler in just his fourth Test, he had the great Ricky Ponting in trouble during India's tour of Australia in 2008. 

ESPN Cricinfo editor Sambit Bal described as "a day when Ishant Sharma shook up Ricky Ponting and set up a famous win." It was a passage of play that offered great hope for the future.

Move forward to 2014 and Sharma played a pivotal role in sealing India's only Test victory (so far) over the last 12 months.

His seven-wicket haul at the home of cricket saw him bounce out England, Alastair Cook’s group of happy hookers all falling into the leg-side trap on the final day to be beaten by 95 runs.

Sadly injury denied him the chance to carry the momentum forward into the next Test at Southampton. England would win that game comfortably at the Ageas Bowl on their way to an emphatic series victory, one that had seemed so unlikely when they left Lord’s with their tails between their legs.

If Ishant Sharma is your leading bowler, you can understand the quality of the bowling attack. #IndvsAus

— EBIN VARGHESE (@ebin_varghese7) December 27, 2014

Back before he became known as one of the world’s premier bowlers, England’s James Anderson developed the rather unwanted nickname of "Daisy" (some days he does, some days he doesn’t), something Lawrence Booth wrote about back in 2009 in his blog for The Cricketer.

Eventually the Lancastrian, badly done to at times by management in his early days, worked out a method for success. He now sits in sixth position in the ICC Test bowling rankings and is the undoubted leader of England’s attack.

Anderson has gone from bit-part player, someone who featured in just one Test in 2005, to finding himself on the brink of becoming his nation's leading wicket-taker in the longest form of the game.

Sharma needs to find that same level of consistency if he is to blossom further and not be India's "Daisy" forever.

At his age and with his experience, the 6'3" bowler needs to stand tall and become the main man.