4 Indian players whose Test careers are under threat after the Australia series
Team India completed a historic series win at the Sydney Cricket Ground as they lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a scoreline of 2-1. This was India’s first Test series triumph on Australian soil; moreover, it was the first such instance for an Asian team as well.
Had rain not rescued Australia in the fourth Test, the No. 1 ranked team may well have returned with a 3-1 result.
Indians dominated the Australian team; there is no debate about it. The trio of Bumrah-Ishant-Shami outbowled their counterparts and Cheteshwar Pujara’s gallant batting wore down the Aussies.
But while Virat Kohli’s team outplayed the opponents with their bright performances, there were a few dull spots as well.
With the Cricket World Cup 2019 coming up this year, the focus will now shift to the 50-over format. India’s next Test assignments later this year are Windies (away), South Africa (home) and Bangladesh (home).
If India don't repeat their selection mistakes, we may not see these four Indian cricketers playing Test cricket for the nation again.
#4. Murali Vijay
The Tamil Nadu opener’s selection for the Australian Test series was a desperate one. Once celebrated as India’s most dependable opener in away conditions, Murali Vijay struggled in both the South Africa and England tours.
He was dropped midway through the England series, and the chances of him returning looked bleak. But the selectors, looking at Vijay’s numbers from the 2014-15 Australia tour, chose him to partner young Prithvi Shaw.
Vijay scored a scintillating 129 in the practice match at Sydney against CA XI and seemed to have vindicated the faith of the selectors. However, his century proved to be a false alarm and he added only 49 runs in four innings of the first two Tests.
He was dropped following the modest returns and India preferred to use make-shift openers instead in the remaining matches.
At the age of 34, Vijay’s reflexes are slowing down. He is a one-format player and has missed out on playing the Indian first-class season as well. With relatively easy Test matches coming up, the selectors are likely to bank on the future prospects rather than investing in a crashing stock.