Australia, India 2014: Despite series secured, more questions than answers remain going to SCG

AUSTRALIA claimed the series after Steve Smith’s defensive declaration but heading into SCG Test there are still question marks, writes RICHARD HINDS.

Cricket Boxing Day Test Day 5 at MCG, Steve Smith and Brad Haddin make field moves as Shane Watson looks on. Melbourne. 30th December 2014. Picture: Colleen Petch.

IN the grandstands and, particularly, the commentary box from which Shane Warne was threatening to throw himself in frustration, Australians grumbled darkly that Steven Smith had delayed the declaration too long.

The Swami Army taunted Mitchell Johnson chanting ‘You are a wanker’ and cheered his protagonist Virat Kohli’s every shot until — when the unusually butterfingered Australians finally seized a chance — the Indian star trudged off. A journey taken with such reluctance Kohli was narrowly beaten to the sheds by Wild Oats XI.

DAY FIVE: INDIA DENIES AUSTRALIA VICTORY AT MCG

CRICKET CONFIDENTIAL: JOHNSON’S UNPLAYABLE DELIVERY

AGAR INTO TEST SQUAD FOR SYDNEY

DHONI RETIRES FROM TEST CRICKET

Even with a late flurry of wickets, fielders perched around the bat and Indian captain MS Dhoni seemingly intent on not merely going down with the ship but sinking it, the Boxing Day Test finished in stalemate.

Accordingly, the atmosphere was less triumphal than you might expect given the home team won the series convincingly.

Still, even with the debate about Smith’s defensive declaration inflamed by the result, for the Australians a draw was apparently as good as a win. So off to the SCG where there are still some pressing issues.

*What constitutes a par score for Shane Watson? A handy 40, a wicket and a neat catch? A big 50 and 15 tidy overs?

Or do the selectors wait for Watson’s contribution, agree it was exactly what they required and pack his bags for the West Indies?

* Will new Indian captain Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson take in a concert at the Opera House, or will the he-said-she-said sledging continue?

The pair’s heated tit-for-tat has invested the series with more energy than you might expect given India’s dismal recent record here. So perhaps we should hope the toys keep flying from the cot in Sydney.

*Was Shaun Marsh’s 99 — his first Test half-century in Australia — the turning point in an unfulfilled career? Or was Marsh flattered by a somewhat laborious innings played mostly with the game in a holding pattern?

*How will the first appearance at the SCG since Phillip Hughes’ death affect the Australians — particularly Watson, Brad Haddin, Nathan Lyon and David Warner who were on the field when their teammate was felled? Another emotional hurdle to be cleared in a tragic summer.

*Does Joe Burns get another chance? The gap between looking comfortable at the crease as Burns did during his brief innings of 13 and 9, and hanging around and scoring some runs, is vast. But it would be harsh to discard the Queenslander if Mitchell Marsh is not fit.

*How will Kohli fare in his first Test as permanent captain? With his aggressive approach as stand-in skipper in Adelaide and brilliant batting throughout the series, surely Kohli wrenched the baton from the hand of his passive incumbent.

Dhoni resignation was still surprising given he is so sacred at home he could be part Friesian. But Kohli has the youth and vigor to succeed on foreign soil. Even if his diplomatic skills might need some work.

*Will Michael Clarke’s stretch the National Hamstring in the SCG nets as vigorously as he stretched his vocal cords in the commentary box in Melbourne in an attempt to convince the selectors he should lead the World Cup team?

Surely Clarke’s admission he will not be ready for the start of the tournament means either Smith or George Bailey should be named captain. But as Clarke’s determination to play the first Test — even before Hughes’ death — demonstrated, don’t expect him to give up without a struggle.