The absence of Virat Kohli has left an immense void in India's batting order during the Test series decider, but the injured captain was also sorely missed in the field, according to teammate KL Rahul.
Kohli folded with the bat in all five of his innings during the four-Test series, tallying just 46 runs at an average of 9.2. The superstar has never logged a lower average in a Test series.
However, the tourists were rightly wary about the prospect of Kohli producing a match-winning knock in the Dharamsala decider. Many good judges described him as the best batsman in the world prior to the first Test in Pune.
Kohli's antagonism and applause were notably lacking on day one of the fourth Test. Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane holds a black belt in karate but is a softly-spoken batsman who isn't anywhere near as intense as Kohli.
"We are missing Virat Kohli. Somebody like that, we've all played under him and he's been a huge influence on everybody in the team and he always sets great examples for us," Rahul said.
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"I know he leads from the front and his aggression and energy is something that would have been really good for us.
"We need to learn to put our hands up and take the pressure and the responsibility sometimes. This game is a good opportunity for the rest of the guys to stand up and be counted."
Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade suggested India were "very, very good" in the field on day one, when they fought back well to bowl the visitors out for 300.
"They were very calm and went about their work," Wade said.
"They weren't overexcited, they just went about their work."
