The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 saw India suffering a humiliating 3-1 series defeat against Australia which was epitomised by the performances of star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who were outshone by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. While Australia’s formidable bowling duo played pivotal roles with the ball, it was their surprising contribution with the bat that overshadowed India’s star batting pair.
In a series dominated by bowlers, the shocking statistic emerged: Starc and Cummins outscored Kohli and Rohit while maintaining a better batting average. This revelation has sparked a fierce debate about the future of India’s most celebrated batting duo.
| Player Combination | Innings | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma | 14 | 221 | 17.00 | 1 | 0 |
| Pat Cummins & Mitchell Starc | 16 | 256 | 17.06 | 0 | 0 |
Kohli managed just 85 runs across 7 innings after his century in Perth, while Rohit averaged a dismal 6.20, tallying only 31 runs in five innings. In contrast, Starc scored nearly three times as many runs as Rohit, and even Scott Boland came close to surpassing the Indian captain’s tally.
India entered the series with high hopes, especially after taking a 1-0 lead in Adelaide and Kohli breaking a century drought since July 2023. However, the momentum quickly dissipated. Kohli’s repeated dismissals—caught behind off deliveries outside the off-stump—exposed a technical flaw that Australia ruthlessly exploited. Scott Boland even outlined the Australian strategy to dismiss Kohli, which worked like clockwork.
Rohit, on the other hand, struggled with age and slowing reflexes, according to former opener Akash Chopra. His dismissals lacked consistency, ranging from leg-before wickets to poorly executed flicks and mistimed pulls. Critics like Sanjay Manjrekar have labelled the duo’s decline as a significant concern for Indian cricket.
As the dust settles on a disappointing series, the performances of Starc and Cummins with the bat serve as a wake-up call. India’s reliance on its ageing stars is no longer yielding results, and bold decisions may be the need of the hour to prepare for the next generation of cricketing challenges.