Indian cricket is entering a new era after heavy Test match defeats in 2024

Ben Stokes may not be thinking much about the World Test Championship, but India's chances of reaching the final of the ICC's showpiece for the third time in a row have suffered a near-fatal blow after lost to Australia in Melbourne. 2024 has been a bittersweet year for the Rohit Sharmas team. Indian cricket is ending it on a bum note, just like it did last year in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.

During the Centurion massacre in 2023, there were some potholes in the road that have not yet been filled. An out-of-control Rohit scored five points in the match as India's top order struggled to find a foothold against a fast-paced attack. Although they won the New Year return in Cape Town in the shortest ever Test, India were rolled for 153 in their first innings, losing their last six wickets without runs. It was an unbelievable batting match.

India went into the final session of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne with seven wickets remaining in the bank. There was a great chance to go all-square to Sydney in the Border-Gavsakar Trophy, despite standing in the background for the entire match.

After making tea with admirable restraint, Rishabh Pant couldn't resist having a fit against Travis Head. Sunil Gavaskar blood pressure was probably elevated to an unsafe level in the comment field. The rest of the batting order crumbled as surely as night follows day. Witness the destruction of the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide for further evidence of that.

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The fall of the late 30s has already begun with the retirement of Ravi Ashwin midway through the series and Rohit's continued decline in form. Virat Kohli's offside problems are becoming increasingly alarming. Hang it out there and the wicket will come. It should be the rallying cry for all seam attacks now against the big man. Jasprit Bumrah plays like two men, but he cannot bowl from both sides.

India's proudest moment came in mid-2024 when they finally ended their 11-year wait to lift another ICC trophy. Test Championship finalists South Africa, another team with a reputation as a bridesmaid, were on the receiving end of an incredible finish at the T20 World Cup Final in Barbados. After five single-digit scores in seven matches, Kohli finally got things right. There is a pattern of ever-decreasing returns.

The sense of relief was palpable as Rohit and Kohli retired from the international T20 arena with a pair of medals in the right colour. Yet their return to the longer format in the second half of 2024 has been almost unremittingly miserable. India was whitewashed at home by the humble but knowledgeable Kiwis to end twelve years of domestic domination. The Blue Men have now been defeated in five of their last seven Test matches. Had the Brisbane weather behaved it would almost certainly have been six out of seven.

The green signs of recovery on the Indian flag will undoubtedly come from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who knocked England out of the five-match series in February. He has continued to face Australia with a similar sense of purpose, even dragging Mitchell Starc. Nitish Kumar Reddy exudes the same air of belief and big match presence that has faded from the older batters. Washington Sundar is also made of the right stuff, despite the limited opportunities to show it.

The Times Of India has reported that Rohit could retire from Test cricket after Sydney. Some of the recent quotes from skippers after Melbourne suggested a man was preparing the red ball carpet for the last time. For a man who doesn't worry about statistics, he has finally faced the Test match cricket number crunchers. The runs have dried up – 619 in 14 games – and even the win in Perth was a blip after being bowled out below 200 again.

Nothing stays the same forever. India have not been to the races in Australia despite being only one behind with one to play. 2025 is a packed schedule with the Champions Trophy where India will play their matches in Dubai. The big tour will take place in England, where they have historically struggled at some points with the seam pitches mirroring the chaos in Bengaluru against New Zealand.

It may be time to pull the trigger on change after a respectful last dance in Sydney. At the age of 34, Suryakumar Yadav is the new 'old' leader of the T20 side. The Test match bubble is also about to burst. It's easy to dismiss the old guard when they can no longer shoot straight, but the cavalry may not come for a while.