PREVIEW:AUSTRALIA IN INDIA 2017
It has been very humid in Mumbai and the Aussies have been sweating it out at the CCI for the series aganist India which is many times called as 'The Final Frontier' for any world class team.Many world class and no 1 teams have come to India and failed to win on multiple occasions.Though this Australian side is world class,it is not the best in the world by any stretch of imagination.But they have been working hard.Courtesy of the ICC Cricket Academy,they have had an ideal preperation in Dubai in terms of what kind of pitches they might see here.
But the odds are highly against Steven Smith's boys as Australia have won just one test series in India in the last 48 years, the latest being in 2004.The team which toured India in 2004 was full of superstars.Led by Ricky Ponting,they had some incredible players in Shane Warne,Glenn Mcgrath,Matthew Hayden,Jason Gillespie and so on.This Australian side doesn't have as many superstars but they have great pedigree in players such as Matthew Renshaw,Peter Handscomb,Stephen O'keefe etc.
Taking into account the inexperience of the side,inability to cope with the spin,poor performance in Asia especially in India,the only thing that can work for them is that they are the underdogs.Nobody is giving them a chance.That is why they must start well.We have seen once the momentum changes in either team's favour,it keeps with them forever.We saw that in the England series and I have to say this again that England did not lose the series because of the last four matches,the series was lost when they allowed India to draw the first test.
Australia's last assignment in Asia was a nightmare for them as they were whitewashed by Sri Lanka last year.But a lot has changed in Australian Cricket since then.Half of the side was replaced when they lost to South Africa at home,but this new looking side seems to have settled in.New players have come in and done well against Pakistan.But this is a much bigger prospect.We know that Smith and Warner are the two most important players in the team and they have to fire if Australia are to pull off a miracle.The player which will be missed I think is Adam Voges.With years of experience behind him,he could have proved vital in the series.Another player who I think should play in the first test is Shaun Marsh even ahead of Matt Renshaw because of his experience and success in Asian conditions.In the bowling unit,Starc and Hazlewood are two dangerous bowlers irrespective of what surface they are bowling on.The major concern is the spin attack which is highly inexperienced.Nathan Lyon along with Steven O'Keefe,Mitch Swepson and Ashton Agar have a big job on their hands.
On the other hand,the most balanced side in world cricket at the moment at least in their home conditions is India and they will not be looking back.Led by Virat Kohli,the team is expected to win the series and even inflict a whitewash.Kohli with four double hundreds under his belt,will be looking to replicate the form he showed in Australia a couple of years back.Australians must have known by now that riling Kohli up isn't the best thing in the world for them.Though India start as Favourites,one thing is for sure that Australia will come hard at India no matter what the situation demands.
