It is here, in the next week or so, that Indian cricket will know if the time has come to adopt a more two-faced approach to the issue of central leadership.
Another defeat in the Boxing Day Test and questions on MS Dhoni's Test captaincy credentials will begin anew. Yet the captain is a valuable asset in the Oneday arena, where his leadership and finishing skills are still second to none.
Even victory in Melbourne, however, will not mask the fact that Dhoni is better off shedding some of his immense responsibilities within a jam-packed schedule and concentrating on prolonging his limited-overs career.
So should the India cricket board (BCCI) and its new director of cricket Ravi Shastri try shedding a traditional aversion to multiple captains, at least for the short term?
Shastri is known to love feisty characters who thrive under pressure and responsibility , and Kohli checked all the boxes in Adelaide.
The Delhi cricketer seemed eager for the job, scored centuries in both innings, exhorted India to shed its languorous approach in crisis and eventually perished going for the kill when a retreat would have been a wiser option.
The impetuosity of youth aside, Kohli seems cast in the Steve Smith mould and there are hidden parallels in the way their careers have panned out.
Both have bounced back after indifferent form threatened to nip their careers in the bud. Both have the rare ability to demand respect by bringing forth their batting skills when most required. They also have age on their side. There is a reason why the whole of Australia is going gaga over Smith right now, and one wonders what the series would have been like if Smith and Kohli had been allowed to square off against each other for the duration.
Ian Chappell has already suggested Dhoni should go, saying, "There's no doubt Dhoni is past his use-by date as a Test captain, and this seems to perfect time to enact the changeover." Even Dhoni himself seemed impressed by Kohli's effort in Adelaide. "The aggressive approach was the right approach. Kohli has been fantastic not only as a batsman but as a leader. He had a very lean series in England and it was good to see the way he prepared for the match. He is an aggressive character and different to what I am," he said of Kohli's captaincy.
Dhoni also seemed aware that his captaincy style away from home has been marked by an overabundance of prudence, and appeared keen to set the record straight at the Gabba. "The captaincy style will remain the same. You exploit what is there for you. A lot depends on the runs you have got, how the game is going, the momentum."
The end of the Gabba Test, however, was marked by a return to the negative body language and hopelessness which seemed to swamp the team in England earlier this year.
India have won only two of 22 away Tests since the 2011 World Cup, and lost 15. Dhoni's win percentage away from home is a dismal 20.68, with India having lost 15 of 29 away Tests under his captaincy.
Ironically, in Brisbane he went past Sourav Ganguly's record and has now led India in most away Tests. Given these figures, can Kohli do any worse? Should he be made to wait till the time Dhoni voluntarily gives up the role? Australia have the luxury of a long assembly line of talented products, India do not. Maybe splitting the captaincy could help the team delineate roles better.
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