3 Indian players who flopped in the 1st Test vs Australia
Team India got their defense of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy off to an emphatic start as they thrashed Australia by an innings and 132 runs in the first Test in Nagpur on Saturday.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma enjoyed a superb outing, hitting a fine century in his side's only innings of the match. The spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel contributed with both the bat and the ball, while Mohammed Shami turned in a superb all-round display as well.
Others, however, failed to deliver in the series opener. On that note, here are three Indian players who flopped in the first Test against Australia.
#3 Suryakumar Yadav
Genuinely failing to understand this clamour to play Suryakumar Yadav in Tests. He's not even taken his T20 game to ODIs yet, where his record is mediocre at best. I feel he's lucky to even be in the squad ahead of Sarfaraz Khan.
Suryakumar Yadav was picked in India's playing XI for the first Test against Australia amid extensive debate. Fans and experts questioned and campaigned for his inclusion in equal measure, but the manner in which the batter was dismissed has heavily tilted the scales in favor of the first school of thought.
Batting ahead of Ravindra Jadeja, Suryakumar walked in at a time when India were in a commanding position. He had the license to play his shots but squandered the opportunity, playing an airy drive away from his body off the first ball of Nathan Lyon's spell.
Suryakumar was beaten all ends up by Lyon, who got the ball to grip and turn. He managed just eight runs, with the manner of his dismissal raising questions over his ability to sustain performances in the longest format of the game.
It wouldn't be a surprise if SKY, who was handed his maiden cap in the series opener, isn't in the playing XI for the second Test in Delhi.
#2 KL Rahul
India vice-captain KL Rahul took part in a press conference ahead of the Test series in which he claimed that he wouldn't mind moving into the middle order. That might be the only thing that saves his spot in the Test side, with him having endured a prolonged poor run of form in the format.
Rahul opened the batting alongside Rohit in the first Test, and while the skipper compiled a superb century, the 30-year-old saw off the new ball before spooning a soft return catch off Todd Murphy. The young off-spinner picked up his maiden Test wicket, with Rahul missing out on yet another chance to score big and nail down his place.
Rahul might be the vice-captain, but that's what Ajinkya Rahane was before he was sent packing. There are a lot of similarities between Rahul and Rahane's performances, and it wouldn't be a bad call if the opening batter is sacrificed in the near future.
#1 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli was easily one of the worst Indian performers in the first Test against Australia.
His form was a concern coming into the game, with many believing that the high-profile nature of the series would bring the best out of the former Indian skipper. But Kohli was dismissed in inexcusable fashion once again, tickling a harmless Murphy delivery down the leg-side and walking back to the dugout for just 12 runs.
Kohli was miserable in the slips as well. He shelled three catches, two of which were extremely straightforward. The 34-year-old needs to get his act together in the upcoming matches.