‘Tours to India Can Make or Break Batting Careers’: Australia Legend Fires Warning Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The Australian team has been working hard on their preparations for the upcoming Test series in India. They first held a camp before jetting off to the country and are currently in Bengaluru where their batters are being subjected to playing on a difficult pitch presumably to replicate the conditions they might find themselves in against India spinners during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The seriousness of the challenge can be gauged from the fact that they recently picked out a India domestic bowler to face in the nets whose bowling action is similar to that of Ravichandran Ashwin.

And then they are also facing left-arm spinners to gear up for the threat of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.

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Talk about covering all the bases.

But the Aussies know no matter how much prepared they are, the Indian team will pose a big challenge similar to but several rungs higher than what they would have faced on the tour of Sri Lanka and Pakistan last year.

And former Australia cricketer Greg Chappell has warned the Pat Cummins-led side about what awaits his touring party.

“A tour of the sub-continent challenges an individual in unique ways. The culture, the climate, the food and the cacophony and activity can work against a touring team like no other country. Winning in India takes pluck, planning, patience and persistence,” Chappell wrote in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald.

“The Australians will have to summon every ounce of their talent and experience during the next month to succeed. India is no longer the mystery it once was. Tours are more regular and the IPL offers valuable exposure,” he added.

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He also fired a warning shot for the likes of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.

“Marnus Labuschagne will be facing his first big test in the subcontinent; and Steve Smith’s recent batting tweaks will be examined more keenly than against the West Indies, South Africa and in the BBL,” he wrote.

“Australia must bat exceedingly well in their first innings if they want to stay in the contest. The game can get away from you very swiftly, otherwise. Tours to India can make or break batting careers,” he added.

Chappell, a former head coach of the Indian men’s team, says the hosts will be relentless in their attack and hence Australia must be on alert all the time.

“Three good partnerships in each innings are required to build winning scores and in case you think this is easy, let me tell you the Indians will subject the Australians to a relentless, probing examination of all aspects of batting,” he wrote.

Chappell though says that Australia have a good chance of winning the series.

“Australia can win this series. India are more vulnerable at home than they have been for some time due to injuries to key players like Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja (available for first two Tests) and Jasprit Bumrah. They will rely heavily on Virat Kohli,” he wrote.

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