Australian fast bowlers Hazlewood and Cummins may find Dharamsala track better than docile Ranchi pitch where they bounced out four Indian batsmen
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood celebrates a dismissal during Day Four of the second Test against India in Bangalore early this month. Pics/AFP & Getty Images
With all eyes firmly fixed on Virat Kohli, his deputy Ajinkya Rahane jogged around field on his own, trying to consume the fact that he will almost be certainly wearing an Indian blazer and heading out to the toss as the 33rd Indian Test captain.
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If Kohli is ruled out, it will mean that the team management has to decide on his replacement and think of the best possible combination to take 20 wickets on a pitch that could be good for batting on the first two days.
With Kohli likely to be absent in the middle order, it will a brave move to play with just five batsmen and bring in an additional bowler. It is likely that India will bring in Shreyas Iyer in the middle order and play the same four bowlers that have served them all series.
The fact that the pitch has not been watered for the last three days and it has been left uncovered under the sun suggests that it will take spin as the game goes on.
Steve Smith on the eve of the match stated, “It still looks a bit dry underneath, so I think it’ll take a reasonable amount of spin as the game goes on. I think first-innings runs are going to be crucial, as they always are in Test matches here in India.”
Pat Cummins.
While the pitch might take spin later in the game, the crust seems to be quite hard and negotiating Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood with the new ball will pose a challenge for the Indian top order.
It is worth noting that Cummins had bounced out four Indian batsmen on a docile pitch in Ranchi, so he will be huge threat for India on a pitch with extra bit of bounce.
On match eve there was talk about Australia replacing Nathan Lyon with Jackson Bird, but it is difficult to see Australia deviating from the two pacemen, two spinners combination.
At the end of the day, Australia have adapted and executed in Indian conditions better than any other country in the last decade. England might have beaten India in 2012, but they had an abundance of experience. This team under Smith is still in transition and they must continue with their discipline and shrewd batting to pull off what would arguably be one of the greatest series wins in 140 years of Test cricket.
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