Rishabh Pant

The dynamic wicketkeeper-batter has come a long way since he first came to the attention of Australian fans in 2018-19 when then captain Tim Paine jokingly asked him to babysit his kids.

Australian cricketers have traditionally most feared attacking players who can take the game away from them in a hurry. Pant is this player.

He turned the 2020-21 series with his counterattacking innings in the draw in Sydney, then backed it up with the summer’s defining knock in the deciding Test in Brisbane.

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The contrast between Pant and India’s senior batting core could not have been more stark in the series against New Zealand, when he made more runs than anyone else and at the fastest rate.

His teammates are giving the impression it’s getting all too hard while Pant is playing as if he’s thrilled to simply be back after suffering horrific injuries in a car crash. The 629 days between Test appearances has fuelled his hunger.

Virat Kohli

One of the greats of the modern game has become mediocre.

Since the start of 2020, Kohli is averaging 31.68 in 34 games, numbers that would end a journeyman’s career. In 60 innings, he has passed 50 only 11 times for two tons, one of which was on the highway rolled out in the Ahmedabad bore draw to finish the 2022 series against Australia.

The rank turners that have become commonplace in India have not helped Kohli, but that tells only part of the tale. His away average of 33.57 from 16 games outlines his struggles in all conditions.

He was run out attempting to get off strike in what proved to be the final over of the day in the final Test against New Zealand – not the actions of a man thinking clearly.

Here’s the but. Kohli’s record in Australia is top class. Undaunted by the extra bounce that has undone many of his countrymen over generations, Kohli’s average of 54 on these shores places him above Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards and Brian Lara, all of whom had great success in Australia.

Another lean series for Kohli in a losing campaign would force uncomfortable conversations in India’s hierarchy.

Rohit Sharma

This is a dangerous summer for India’s captain.

Australian teams thrive on struggling touring captains, confident if they can bring him down it would undermine his authority and sap morale in the visiting dressing room.

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In Rohit, they have a leader saddled with a double whammy: short of runs, and whose team has hit historical lows, whitewashed at home for the first time since its entry to Test cricket in 1933.

Being an out-of-form captain of a losing team is career-threatening at the age of 37.

His past 10 innings have produced just 135 runs. His dismissals have been messy, erring on the side of recklessness in his attempt to seize the ascendancy on testing tracks.

There will be no opportunity for Rohit to stamp his authority early in the series, as he did in 2022. He will miss at least the first Test for the birth of his second child, which is no slight on him as a leader.

But it does add an extra layer of complexity to the team dynamic. If they succeed without him, do they really need him back? And if they fail, the pressure on him rises even more.

Ravichandran Ashwin

You can include Ravindra Jadeja alongside Ashwin.

Though it’s unlikely either spin master will have the conditions in Australia to be match-winners, both will have vital roles to play with ball and/or bat.

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India will need Ashwin to play a holding role and shield India’s third quick, who is likely to be the weakest link in the attack.

Attacking the visiting spinner is an age-old tactic for Australia, but Pat Cummins’ men have tremendous respect for Ashwin. He has the skill and wiles to be effective even on unfriendly surfaces, particularly against a top seven that will have at least three left-handers.

Ashwin and Jadeja have bailed India out of trouble with the bat many a time, but both are likely to be subjected to a bumper barrage that will test their skill and nerve.

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