The general principle that seems unflappable in cricket is uncertainty. The excitement hinges on that. A match may look poised for a particular ending but can turn at any moment. A short spell of fiery bowling like Jasprit Bumrah’s against South Africa at the T20 World Cup final or the wicket of Rishabh Pant in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground can be those game-changing moments.
A Test that had multiple riveting moments finally ended with Australia winning. India lost the match, but the Test was the epitome of success—as a game. In modern cricket, when five-day Tests are a rarity, this stretched to the last session. It also created a record in attendance at 373,534 across five days, better than an 87-year-old high. That shows Test cricket is still popular. However, the year that saw the biggest high when India won the T20 World Cup—an ICC trophy after 11 years and a World Cup after 13—ended on a rather dour note. Of course, India’s worst ignominy this year was the 0-3 series whitewash against New Zealand at home.
The high of Perth (first Test win) and the fortunes of some of the greatest of the game are slowly fading. India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are under the scanner again. The former has been criticised for his lacklustre captaincy as well. Even on Monday, when the team needed them, both failed. This year, Sharma averages 24.76 and Kohli 24.52 in the longest format. He has two centuries to show at home against England, but since the Bangladesh series began, Sharma has been in poor form.
In this tour of Australia, he averages 6.2 in three Tests—31 runs in five innings. In short, Sharma is the most disappointing player in the series so far. Kohli, who had some of the greatest Test innings in Australia, seems to be struggling. At 36, he is not growing younger. Apart from the century in Perth when he came in after the team was in a good position, there was not much on offer. Maybe they are on the last leg. However, the silver lining is Bumrah—the greatest bowler of this generation. As we ring in the new year, let’s celebrate Bumrah and Test cricket.