3 glaring concerns for India following their defeat in the 2024/25 BGT Test series ft. Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli

Following India's six-wicket defeat in the final Test of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, there are more questions than answers. The World Test Championship final is no longer a possibility, and the lead-up to the final two matches in the series was marred by plenty of unwelcome reports.

There are rumors of discontent within the Indian dressing room. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under fire for his methods and tactics, while senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately.

It isn't a great situation right now for the two-time WTC finalists. On that note, here are three glaring concerns for India following their defeat in the Test series against Australia.

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#3 India's pace reserves are still questionable

India Men's Test Squad Training Session - Source: Getty

India embarked on their Australian tour with several pace options to complement Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep were among those expected to have breakthrough campaigns Down Under.

However, five Tests later, India are not really any further along on their journey to find reliable pacers in the red-ball format. Siraj himself blew hot and cold, while Rana was dropped after an indifferent pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Deep bowled well without much reward, although his default lengths were too short at times. Prasidh, on the other hand, clearly isn't a finished product when it comes to control.

Ahead of the England series, who will be India's premier pacers? Bumrah's workload resulted in him breaking down multiple times on the tour, while Siraj has bowled a massive tally of overs over the last two years in international cricket. There are no obvious third and fourth pace options as well.

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#2 Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill have made things very difficult for the selectors

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: DEC 29 NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test - Source: Getty

As Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy stood out in the batting department, with even Washington Sundar displaying great promise, the senior members of the side were far from impressive.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to make any notable contributions barring the latter's second-innings hundred in Perth. Both players were dismissed in soft fashion throughout the rubber, with the Aussie bowlers not having to try hard to dismiss them.

Kohli's batting average has plummeted over the last five years, while Rohit hasn't been able to buy a run for a while now. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, who was expected to be their successor, hasn't been able to score runs away from home despite playing a few crucial knocks in 2024.

Rohit has made it clear that he isn't going to retire anytime soon, while Kohli has often expressed a desire to continue representing the country in what he considers to be the best format of the game. The selectors now have an unwanted dilemma on their hands, with the next edition of the World Test Championship starting later this year.

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#1 Who will captain India going forward in Tests?

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 05 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

Bumrah led India in two Tests Down Under, but it's hard to expect him to feature in all of the country's red-ball assignments. His workload needs to be managed carefully, and that's notwithstanding the fact that his current injury status is unknown.

Gill hasn't been able to nail down his spot in the side, while Jaiswal has no captaincy experience. Pant hasn't set the world on fire with his leadership so far, meaning that there's no real candidate to take over from Rohit, who might not be able to break into the side once again.

Who will captain India in Tests going forward? That will be the team's biggest concern in the upcoming months.