India's recent victory against Australia in the opening test match has undoubtedly given the team a boost in their pursuit of qualifying for the World Test Championship Final. However, the game also exposed some significant problem areas in the Indian squad that could potentially cause trouble in future games.
One of the major concerns for India is their top-order batting, which, apart from Rohit Sharma, has been struggling to produce consistent results. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, who are two of India's most experienced batsmen, have failed to deliver in recent times, and their lack of form could pose a threat to India's chances in overseas tours and against stronger opponents.
Rahul, in particular, has been under scrutiny for his poor performance with the bat, having failed to score a hundred in the last two years. The opening batsman has a Test average of 34 after 46 Tests and has been struggling to capitalize on the opportunities given to him. While the team's batting coach, Vikram Rathour, defended Rahul, stating that he has done well in South Africa, many experts have questioned the selection policy, citing the likes of Shubhman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan, who have been performing exceptionally well in domestic cricket.
Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad also expressed his concerns, stating that KL Rahul has been given too many chances, and the team management needs to look at other players who deserve a chance ahead of him. With other players waiting in the wings and in top form, Prasad believes that it is only a matter of time before Rahul is dropped from the squad.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has been going through a dry spell with the bat in the longest format of the game. Although he has scored three centuries in ODIs recently, Kohli has gone 21 Tests without reaching three figures, which is a worrying sign for the team management. With India inching closer to the WTC Final, Kohli's form will be crucial in deciding India's chances of winning the tournament.
Another problem area for India is their middle-order batting, which has been inconsistent in recent games. Cheteshwar Pujara's departure in the opening game against Australia further highlighted India's need for stability in the middle order. While the debutants, Suryakumar Yadav and KS Bharat, failed to use the opportunity, the lower-order batsmen, including Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, stepped up to save the day for India.
While India's bowling attack has been impressive, the team management will need to address the batting concerns before the next round of selections for the third and fourth Tests against Australia. With the second Test starting on Friday, the team will need to take some drastic decisions to tackle the top-order batting woes. Otherwise, India may land in more trouble, and there may not be enough time to solve these problems. The next three Tests will be a crucial test for the Indian team, and they will need to work together to overcome these issues to increase their chances of qualifying for the WTC Final.