Former India captains chart how India can beat Australia in next four-round series
For Anil Kumble, India should have a good start in the day-night event in Adelaide. According to Rahul Dravid, India needs to find a hitter who can hit a “[Cheteshwar] Pujara “and score at least 500 runs in four rounds in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. If India succeeds in doing so, the two former Indian captains are confident that the visitors can repeat what they accomplished on the 2018-19 tour: become the first Asian country to win a series of tests in Australia.
Kumble and Dravid were asked for their predictions while attending a webinar on Thursday, hosted by the L&T Financial Services Mutual Fund annual conclave. The Winners Circle.
“Since India is starting the test series with a pink ball, that will be the biggest challenge,” Kumble said. “If we can stay ahead in the first test match, India has a great chance to repeat what it did on the last Australian tour. [Steven] Smith and [David] Warner returns [after their ball-tampering bans the last time] and then Virat [Kohli] Missing all three test matches will obviously be a big factor for India. But having said that, there is enough skill within the team, whether it’s hitting or bowling. “
Both Kumble, who had brought India to Australia during their 2007-08 tour, and Dravid acknowledged that the presence of Smith and Warner, along with the return of India’s captain Virat Kohli, home on paternity leave after the first test would make this a more difficult task for India even though they have as good a bowling attack as Australia. And while Warner has been ruled out of the first test in Adelaide, there is a chance that he will play the remaining three tests in the series.
“The bowling alley: We’ll probably match our fast bowling with his fast bowling,” Kumble said. “The batting matches again, [but] I think we are ahead [of Australia]. So if we can get ahead in the pink ball test match, which is obviously Australia’s strong point: they have done very well in Adelaide whenever they have played a pink ball test; so if India can get ahead of Australia in the first test, then I will support India. But if that doesn’t [happen], so it will be a difficult question without Virat also in the next three [Tests]. “
The pink ball game in Adelaide, which starts on December 17, will be India’s first overseas day and night test and only its second day and night game overall, having played and defeated Bangladesh in Kolkata in 2019, a game that was played with SG Ball.
However, the Australia series will be played with the pink and red Kookaburra balls, which is part of the home advantage that Australia enjoys. Adelaide also happens to be a happy hunting ground for Australia when it comes to day and night testing. Overall Australia have played seven day and night events at home, winning all of them, including four in Adelaide.
Otherwise, Australia has also dominated in Adelaide: of the 20 events contested at the venue this century, 14 have won, with three losses and draws each. Incidentally, Australia’s last loss in Adelaide was against India, who won the opener of the 2018-19 series by 31 runs.
That was only the second time India had won Adelaide this century, 15 years after Dravid’s own heroic deeds led the visitors to victory in an event recognized as one of the greatest in the history of the game.
For India to have the “advantage” over Tim Paine’s Australia, Dravid said the visitors had to do what Pujara had done during the 2018-19 trip. Pujara, who had won the Player of the Series award two seasons ago, was the only hitter in that series with more than 500 runs. In all, he scored 521 runs in seven innings, including three centuries, one of which was a rescue act in Adelaide.
“Who will be our Pujara from the last time?” Asked Dravid, who is currently the director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). “I am saying [that because] Pujara scored more than 500 runs last time, [so] you [are] you’re going to need one of your hitters [to repeat that]. Or it will be the same Pujara; obviously it can’t be Kohli because it won’t be there for the whole time. [tour] – but you’re going to need one of your hitters at least in my opinion during the four test matches to get something like 500 runs.
“I think we have a bowling attack that can take 20 wickets under those conditions. It will be challenging conditions: Australia will try to establish conditions that support the quality of fast bowlers. So will we be able to match that?
“I think we can get 20 plots in five days. [But] Will we get a hitter who will get more than 500 runs for us in the series? [or not] I could define it; If we can get it, then we give ourselves a great chance. If one of Smith and Warner, who missed the last series, gets it, then [Australia] it will probably have the upper hand. “
Nagraj Gollapudi is news editor of ESPNcricinfo
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