India vs Australia: This could be make-or-break series for Rahane, Pujara, says Deep Dasgupta

Former Indian wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta has said that the remaining three Tests between India and Australia in the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar series will be crucial for Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, especially in the absence of Virat Kohli.

After the first Test, in which Australia won eight wickets, Kohli returned home for the birth of his first child and in his absence, Rahane is set to lead Team India.

"This is a big series for Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara. Especially in these times of crisis, I think it is going to be big. And there are a few comments in the comments section which mentions Ajinkya Rahane not doing anything outstanding.

"He's had a few good games in the last 2-3 years, not too many hundreds but I completely agree. It could be a make-or-break series for someone like Ajinkya Rahane and even, maybe to a certain extent, Cheteshwar Pujara," Deep Dasgupta told Sports Today.

Even though Rahane has captained India only in two Tests, he has won both the matches, while averaging 47 with the bat. He was the stand-in captain in Kohli's absence in a Test against Australia in 2017 and against Afghanistan in 2018. In addition to that, Rahane is one of those fewer batsmen who average more in away Tests (44.38) than at home (39.28).

The last time India toured Down Under, in 2018-19, Kohli's side clinched the Indian team's first-ever Test series victory on Australian soil. In the ongoing series, Team India are already 1-0 down with three Tests to go on the tour.

In the first Test at the Adelaide Oval, India touched a new low as they registered their lowest Test total. Kohli and Co got all out for 36 in the second innings, where not a single Indian batsman managed to score in double digits. India's previous lowest total was 42 all out in the Lord's Test against England on June 20, 1974. India team's total of 36 was also the joint-lowest total against Australia in Tests – South Africa were dismissed for 36 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 1931-32.

Moreover, it was only the second instance of all 11 batsmen of a side failing to score in double digits in the history of Test cricket. The previous occasion was when England dismissed South Africa for 30 with the highest being Herbie Taylor's seven, though there were 11 extras in the innings.

Ahead of the second Test, which is the traditional Boxing Day game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Team India may struggle to turn the table around as it will be without the likes of Kohli and senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who suffered a wrist fracture in the Adelaide Test and has sidelined for at least six weeks.