Summary
- Australia will play India in a 4 match test series
- Australia have one just won test series in India during the last 54 years
- Steve Smith says series win bigger than Ashes series win
Australia have a tough tour of India ahead of them starting with the Border-Gavaskar test series which will see the two teams battle it out in a 4 match test series.
The first test is set to take place from 09 Feb to 13 Feb in Nagpur and the Aussies must either win or draw the first test or they could find themselves under a lot of pressure going into the second test.
Australia are used to playing on their home wickets which offer both pace and bounce. They are going to get the complete opposite during the Border-Gavaskar test series as India will doctor the pitches to suit their spinners.
Images have already emerged on social media of the Nagpur pitch being watered only at the center but the two ends have been left to dry out. The dryness of the pitch will offer immediate assistance to the spinners as India clearly have the better spin bowling attack and is likely to play 3 or even 4 spinners at Nagpur.
In the last 54 years, Australia has won just one Border-Gavaskar test series in India and that was back in 2004 when Adam Gilchrist captained the side. During their last four tours of India, Australia has managed to win just one test, Australian bettors will be hoping that fortune is about to change ahead of the series.
Former captain Michael Clarke criticized Australia’s preparation in the lead up to the Border-Gavaskar series as Australia has not played any warm-up games in India to get acclimatized to the conditions.
Ex-captain Steve Smith who will be the key batsman for Australia against India made a bold statement when he said winning the Border-Gavaskar series in India, will be bigger than an Ashes series win.
Opening batsman David Warner agreed with Smith and said going to India and beating India in a test series is the toughest challenge in cricket and he was looking forward to doing that.
It’s going to be a difficult first test for Australia as fast bowlers Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc are set to miss the first test and all-rounder Cameron Green’s participation in the first test is also under a cloud.
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