Kohli's injury puts India under pressure in Dharamsala decider

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been rendered a doubtful starter for the fourth and final cricket Test against Australia in Ranchi, a scenario that has put the hosts under immense pressure on the eve of the decider of the bitterly fought series.

With the high-voltage rubber locked at 1-1, things couldn't have got worse for India as their captain admitted that he is not hundred percent fit going into the match, with a threat of "aggravating the injury in the field" looming.

• Will play only if I am 100 per cent fit: Kohli

The pre-match statement was kind of a giveaway that Kohli's chances of playing are dim in a match where his presence as a leader is required the most. While Kohli the batsman had a nightmare of a series, the absence of a quality batsman like him can prove to be a game-changer unless his replacement Shreyas Iyer fires big time.

Kohli batted in the nets on Friday, but admitted that a call can only be taken by physio Patrick Farhart on Friday evening.

The India camp probably doesn't want to give away any psychological advantage to the opposition ahead of the decider. Perhaps that was also the reason that the skipper, even though doubtful, came for the mandatory pre-match media conference.

Asked how he felt at the nets, Kohli said: "It's very different from competition, that's one thing. Something that I experienced in Ranchi is that when you have reactive movements, the main magnitude of your injury comes out. Those are the things that we have to keep in mind. The physio wants to give it a bit more time till I can test myself."

When asked about the element of risk involved, Kohli said: "The physio can explain better. I don't know the magnitude of the risk. All I know is that if I go through fitness test, I will take the field."

In the event of Kohli missing out, Ajinkya Rahane would lead the team.

Kohli's injury has added to the spice in one of the most enticing series of recent times with the fitting finale taking place on the lap of the scenic Dhauladhar ranges.

It has been one hell of a series that has not been played in the best of spirits. The on-field skirmishes spilled over, creating bitter acrimony between the two sides. Even the fourth estate, especially the ones from Down Under joined in the ‘banter’, adding to all the drama.

In the existing backdrop, the fourth Test promises to have every single ingredient that a cricket crazy Indian would want. Not an inch will be given by either side even though Australia can be deemed favourites going into the game.

Managing to eke out a draw from the most adverse circumstances must have given Steve Smith and his boys immense amount of self belief that they have the requisite ability to salvage the team from any situation.

Peter Handscomb has shown that he has the technique, and more importantly, a big heart to thrive in top-flight professional sport.

But Saturday will be a different day and different occasion. The hosts know it too well that they are now not left with any option but to go for the jugular.

KL Rahul will have to convert a good starts into big innings. Karun Nair needs to forget that he had scored a triple hundred only two months back.

Cheteshwar Pujara once again needs to grind the opposition out while Murali Vijay would need to show monk-like calmness in pressure situations.

Rahane, in full flow, is a delight to watch but in case Kohli is absent, he will have to be the lead  the team in his own way.

He may not be an enforcer but having played enough under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rahane would like to believe that every captain has his own distinct style.

However, the bowling department will remain a cause for concern as Ishant Sharma's lack of wickets have hurt India badly. His iffy form could mean Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a good swing bowler and a competent lower-order batsman, gets a look-in.

For Australia, a draw would mean moral victory but a win will be huge, possibly as big as an Ashes triumph.

For a team that was not rated highly upon its arrival in India, this has been as good a series for the visitors. Smith's gutsy twin hundreds, Nathan Lyon's lion-hearted spin bowling, Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb's coming of age batting have been the highlights so far.

It couldn't have been better that the final Test is being held at Dharamsala, where Jackson Bird looks likely to make the cut in place of Steve O'Keefe.

It’s going to be a battle of wits and expect some enthralling cricket to come your way from the beautiful Dharamsala.

Teams (from):

India: Virat Kohli (captain), KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Jayant Yadav.

Australia: Steve Smith (captain), Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscombe, Matthew Wade (wk), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Steve O’Keefe, Jackson Bird, Mitchell Swepson, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Usman Khwaja, Pat Cummins.

Match Starts 9:30 am.