Yet another series, but this time around things are not the same like the previous India tour of Australia in 2018-19. The much awaited Border-Gavaskar series will be about to get underway from 17 December with a pink ball test match at Adelaide between India and Australia. Earlier this year India had already lost the test series to New Zealand when the expectations were high from Virat Kohli. But the team of experienced players have exposed the strategy of the Captain. For Australia this will be the first test series when they will play the red-ball cricket game in 2020.
Steve Smith and David Warner will be playing the test series after they returned to cricket from a ball-tampering incident in 2018 against South Africa. Australia's team looks more complete from the tourists (India) in every department from batting to bowling. Although, Australia will miss the services of David Warner in the first test match but he will return before the second test to solve the issue of an opening batsman in the test series. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood alongside Nathan Lyon completes the bowling division of Australia. There is no one apart from Virat Kohli, Pujara and R.Ashwin who can be match-winner in the upcoming series. Let's see how men in blue will perform without the services of captain Kohli after the first test match who will be on paternity leave.
Having said, let us take three reasons why India will be unable to retain the upcoming border-Gavaskar Trophy.
VIRAT KOHLI ABSENCE WILL PUT THE TEAM AT BACK FOOT:
This is the first time when team India will miss the services of captain Virat Kohli after the first test match at Adelaide (day and night match). Team India batting has revolved around only one player and that is Virat Kohli and his absence will not put the captaincy pressure but it will also create the problem in the batting line-up to score runs without him.
Ajinkya Rahane will be the captain of team India from the second test. Interesting to see how he will plan out things to tackle the opposition who have the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. Apart from Pujara there is no one in the middle order who can provide depth in the batting line-up to Rahane or Virat Kohli.
Also Read | Virat Kohli Vs Steve Smith
TROUBLE IN THE BATTING LINE-UP:
Although it is almost the same team that has toured Australia in 2018 but that time Australia was playing without the key players and somehow India has come out as victorious by 2-1 in the test series. But earlier this year team India was already defeated by New Zealand in the test series by the same squad which will play the test series.
The New Zealand team is not good like Australia but still team India was struggling against them and when team India will play against Australia from 17 December who will be playing with their best players it will surely make things very difficult for men in blue who are playing without experience players from top order to middle order expect the few players. In the Indian batting line-up there is hardly anyone who can be the match-winners apart from the Virat Kohli, Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.
ABSURD INDIAN BOWLING LINE-UP:
The second big reason why India will be unable to retain the border-Gavaskar Trophy. The long history of cricket says if the visiting team is playing against Australia in their own domain without the strike bowlers there is no chance for the team to dominate the Aussies in their conditions. Ishant Sharma is already out of the series which has put more pressure on the bowlers like Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav. Among three if there is one who can be effective then it is only Jasprit Bumrah.
In the spin division there is only one genuine match-winner R.Ashwin who has 77 wickets in 14 tests of this rivalry. But Ashwin has no one from the other end in terms of experience and calibre to stop the Australians in the test series. Definitely there will be pressure on him to perform but we are optimistic that Ashwin will strike again to give more dents into the Australian line-up. Do you think India will be able to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy? Drop your views into the comment box.
Suggested Read | India-Australia All-time Combined Test XI
