Dhoni remains on standby for India

It's a new year and a new skipper for India's Test team, but the shadow of captains past still hangs over the side ahead of the final match of this Commonwealth Bank Test Series.

As Virat Kohli prepared to face the media for the first time as full-time skipper, the retired MS Dhoni went through his paces in the SCG Tests, with the 33-year-old still on standby in the unlikely event that replacement wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha is unable to play.

Kohli confirmed Saha wasn't under an injury cloud and is set to take the field tomorrow for what would be his third Test, adding Dhoni was only with the squad on the off chance that injury or illness should befall Saha overnight.

"(Dhoni) is the second keeper as of now," Kohli said.

"God forbid something happens to Saha, I can't keep in the game so (Dhoni) obviously has to step in.

"There's nothing wrong with (Saha) but ... something might happen tonight, he might get a stomach bug. Can you guarantee that you will walk out of his room now and not get a twisted ankle?

"Saha is playing … MS is on standby."

Dhoni's sudden departure from the top job after the MCG Test came as a shock to all, not least his family.

Another former Indian skipper, Team Director Ravi Shastri, revealed in the Hindustan Times that Dhoni hadn't even informed his family of his decision when he walked into the team dressing-room at the end of last week's match to tell his teammates.

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Kohli, like the rest of the squad, was stunned by the announcement.

"We were doing our usual thing after the game, packing our bags and stuff and then he came in and said he wants to say something and he just announces it," Kohli said.

"We were all taken aback by his decision because it was so sudden, we had no clue. We never saw it coming.

"It was pretty shocking at that point for all of us and we didn't really know what to say to him because it was a very emotional moment for him.

"We as youngsters who've started under his captaincy, it was a very strange moment for us also."

On the surface, it would appear the transition from one captain to the next would be a significant shift for this young Indian team.

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Kohli gave an indication during the fourth-innings run chase in Adelaide that his aggressive batting would be reflected in his captaincy style, which would be in stark contrast to the relaxed and calm nature of Dhoni's leadership.  

While Kohli wants to put his own stamp on this team, he knows it would be folly to ignore the advice of a man who led India to the world No.1 Test ranking as well as World Cup titles in both the 50-over and 20-over game.

"There's so much to learn from him, especially in tough situations," Kohli said.

"His composure, his decision-making at important times; these are the things that are priceless. Any captain would like to have them.

"I hope I can be as calm as him but everyone has different styles.

"As long as you can try and pick out the positives from every person, that's how you improve every day.

"I know what skills he has a captain and I'll always try to pick his brains and take advice from him whenever I can."

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India's change in leadership represents another challenge for Steve Smith, who himself is going into just his third Test as captain, remarkably making him the more experienced of the two skippers.

Smith was the final of many victims of Dhoni's oft peculiar field placings in Test cricket, caught at leg-slip in the second innings in Melbourne.

Averaging 145.25 in this series, Smith dismissed any thought that he would be undone in the same manner in Sydney, saying he was happy for the tourists to continue to arrow the ball into his pads.

He predicted that the heated on-field confrontations between the two sides this summer - which have often featured Kohli - would continue this week, despite the match effectively being a dead rubber with the Aussies holding an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Unsurprisingly, Kohli agreed.

“I don’t think aggression means I need to go out there verbally and talk to everyone," he said.

“Aggression can be the way I defend a ball or play a shot as well.

“There has been a lot of talk of me going over the top and crossing the line as far as the verbal battles are concerned but the people writing and saying things about it are not present out there in the middle when that happens.

“I know what’s being said and I know the reason why things are being said back, so people will never know what goes on in there and it’s important for the players to know we need to be in a positive frame of mind.

“A line doesn’t need to be crossed but we are not here to back down from any sort of confrontation or any battles.

“You will still see positive cricket and the same aggressive intent.”