India’s upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be like a ‘final frontier’ for the Pat Cummins-led No. 1 Australian cricket team, who were on a roll after the pacer took over from Tim Paine. Australia has had a fine run recently, winning the Ashes and then the series against Pakistan, the West Indies and South Africa. They will be looking for their first series win in India in 19 years. On their last tour of India in 2017, they started with a big win in the Pune Test but lost the series 1-2. India, on the other hand, has not lost domestically for more than a decade and has a record 15 wins.
“The Australians will have to use every ounce of their talent and experience over the next month to succeed. India is no longer the mystery it once was. Tours are more regular and the IPL provides valuable exposure. Wear and tear takes a huge toll on touring teams As India enter on day five, they will win,” Chappell wrote in an op-ed for Sydney Morning Herald.
The former captain said the key for Australia would be to take wickets at regular intervals.
“Delhi and Dharamshala will be a fortress for India. Nagpur is a field of red earth which is best beaten for the first three days unless they produce a raging turner. In Ahmedabad there are fields of both red and black earth and the state of the series will dictate what India orders,” he wrote.
“To win Australia needs to get wickets with the new ball. As the ball softens they have to bowl sparingly and then turn the old ball over. Spin is more of a weapon in India than Australia but we always need our top four bowlers plus Cameron Green.”
Australian legend compared the battle between India and Australia to a game of chess and quoted Austrian chess player Rudolf Spielmann as having said, ‘Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician and the endgame like a machine’.
“I have seen many Tests in India and it is as much a battle of the mind as it is of physical skill. What works in India is not guaranteed to work elsewhere. Winning in India takes guts, planning, patience and perseverance,” said Chappell .
Inger spinner Ashton Agar, Australia’s only left-handed tweaker in the squad, should be preferred to Nathan Lyon in track spinning, Chappell said.
“Should pitches favor spin, which is more likely, I expect Ashton Agar to get the nod as finger spin is considered more accurate,” said 74-year-old Chappell who scored 7110 runs from 87 tests at an impressive average. of 53.86 between 1970 and 1984.
Anil Kumble who took 619 wickets in Test cricket rarely strayed from the straight. His stock in the trade were quick flat leg breaks always threatening the stumps. Batters knew if they missed they were in trouble. Jadeja’s stock in trade is flawless as well.
“Agar need to mimic their roles. One bowler leaking runs will make all the difference in a tight game.” He recalled his conversation with Erapalli Prasanna and wrote that the Indian legend would spin the ball hard, often try to hit the batter on the pads, make him think about the spinning ball and then hit him with a straight ball on would catch the fold.
“Line, he (Prasanna) said, was optional, length was mandatory. He explained to me that he would lay the seam a little flatter than on the traditional off-spinner and then give a greater number of rotations on the ball which would allow the ball floated like an off-spinner, but once it landed on the leather it skidded further with the arm, giving the impression that it had gone ‘the other way’.
“As the leader of the spider attack, Nathan Lyon will have to take pages out of his book and lead the way.” However, Chappell said Australia will also have problems to solve.
David Warner is in patchy form and needs to improve his testing record in India; Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Travis Head and Cameron Green will be tested with better quality spin than they encountered in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“Marcus Labuschagne faces his first major test on the subcontinent; and Steve Smith’s recent batting tweaks will be scrutinized more keenly than against the West Indies, South Africa and in the BBL,” he wrote.
Featured video of the day
Sports Budget sees big jump in India
Topics mentioned in this article
