A decade earlier on December 30, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had pulled the curtains on his Test captaincy at the MCG keeping his teammates and the media in the dark after the game ended in a draw.

Hours after stumps, an email from the Board conveyed Dhoni’s decision to end his Test career citing “the strain of playing all formats”.

No such announcement followed from captain Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli on Monday after their failures resulted in India’s inability to chase 340 and losing the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both have hung on to their positions following a string of poor scores hoping against hope to make amends at the next opportunity.

An 88-run stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant ignited hopes of a revival in the second session but seven wickets fell for 34 runs in a dramatic collapse to spell their doom.

There’s already a lot of
talk about Rohit and Kohli’s imminent retirement from Test cricket at the end of the series in Sydney. Both, however, could continue till the World Test Championship final in June should India win the final Test and keep themselves in the reckoning for a shot at Lord’s.

The Telegraph understands that chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who is accompanying the side, hasn’t spoken to the famed duo and a dialogue could take place once the series ends. Agarkar apparently doesn’t want to engage in any such discussion in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in line with the wishes of the BCCI.

It’s clearly not a case of whether, but when they will draw the line. While Rohit and Virat’s performances in the final Test and its outcome will be monitored closely, there’s also the possibility that a formal statement could be issued after the Champions Trophy, which begins in February.

But whether we will see them playing the red ball in England next summer will depend solely on India’s fortunes in the WTC cycle.

Sources have confirmed that a section within the BCCI has taken serious umbrage to the fact that the duo’s continuance is hurting the team’s chances. A series loss could force them to read between the lines and bow out with dignity.

With 31 runs from five innings in the series and 619 runs in 26 innings at an average of 24.76 this year, Rohit’s place in the playing XI is uncertain. In the second half of the year, he averages 10.93 in 15 innings while crossing 30 only once.

Kohli’s numbers have been no better — 167 runs in seven innings, including a 100 not out in Perth at an average of 27.83. His average of 24.52 (417 runs in 19 innings) this year is the second lowest since his debut in 2011.

Any other player wouldn’t have survived so long and it is only because of their reputation that they have managed to hang on.

The India captain did have an enterprising start on Monday but fell victim to Pat Cummins’ fullish delivery as he tried to swat it away. The nick was taken smartly at gully.

Kohli’s dismissal too followed the Rohit model and the first attempt at an ambitious shot was edged behind. His dismissals in all Tests had an uncanny similarity — getting sucked into chasing balls outside the off stump.

If Rohit steps aside before Sydney, much like Dhoni, he could depart with much pride since the leader and batter in him will always stay alive.