After holding the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for 10 long years, India let it slip on Sunday. But the odds of winning a third consecutive away series in Australia were always going to be long. The series that started with a bang for India with a huge 295-run victory at the Perth Test, did raise hopes of a last roar from this ageing Indian side.

But sadly that was not to be as things went steadily downhill for India after that and Australia finding its mojo. To be fair there wasn’t much separating the two teams. The Australian top order was also struggling for runs just as the Indian batters. But the Australian bowlers bowled better as a unit. For India Jasprit Bumrah was the standout performer with other bowlers bowling well only in patches.

But it was the batting that let India down badly. In the crucial moments in the series India failed to seize the moment, as the batting collapse in the Melbourne Test. If India had drawn that Test it could have gone to the final Sydney Test with everything to play for.

Enough has been written and said about the woeful form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Is their time up? Sharma joining the team in the second Test after a paternity leave and opting out of the last Test did not help matters. The ‘cloak-and-dagger’ manner of Sharma’s withdrawal did leave enough hints of a dressing room in turmoil. Ashwin’s retirement in the middle of the series only added to the intrigue.

So where does Indian cricket go from here? Some hard calls will have to be made about the non-performing seniors as there are no signs of them retiring. The selectors have a tough job on their hands when they choose the team for the England Test series this summer.

A word of advice for the entitled Indian fans. This team needs rebuilding so don’t expect wonders from them anytime soon.