When the pacers’ footmarks gradually become more prominent by Lunch on day two, Lyon’s deliveries from the other end will pose a challenge. That Kohli has not scored a Test century since November 2019 does not make things easier. They have each removed him on seven occasions. He has been the joint-most successful bowler against Virat Kohli in the longest format, alongside England pacer James Anderson. With seamers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Cameron Green missing out with injuries and the conditions favouring spin, Lyon will be expected to bowl a lot more overs. Nathan Lyon “will lead our attack this series”, Australia skipper Pat Cummins remarked on the eve of the Nagpur Test. PS – Four of Australia’s likely top seven are left-handed: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head and Alex Carey. While Jadeja will be effective against the right-handers, Ashwin is lethal against southpaws, having gathered 226 career wickets of left-handed batters at an average of 19.5 and a strike rate of 47.6. However, with the wily off-spinner for company, he has picked up 197 wickets from 83 innings at a miserly average of 21.1. Without Ashwin in the eleven, Jadeja has scalped 45 wickets in 31 innings at an average of 40.4. His performance, when operating in tandem with the experienced Ashwin, seems to receive a boost as well. In 22 Test innings against the Aussies, the left-arm spinner has picked up 63 wickets. On a specially made mat, he could be seen taping sheets which, on coming into contact with the ball, made it impossible to predict the direction of the turn.ĬA even managed to rope in Maheesh Pithiya, a local spinner whose action is similar to that of Ashwin’s, to bowl in the nets.įresh from picking seven wickets against Tamil Nadu in his comeback game after a back injury in the Ranji Trophy, Jadeja will also draw confidence from his past performances against Australia. The highest run-scorer in the 2020-21 edition of the BGT has left no stone unturned to prepare for the rank turners, even coming up with a unique backyard contraption. 1 Test batter Marnus Labuschagne’s first trip to India. That surface also had a lot of cracks akin to what can be generally spotted on deteriorating decks here. When the track takes some beating, the rough will surely come into play, the prospect of which will have Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon licking their lips.Īustralia has been preparing in unique ways to deal with the turn in the subcontinent.Ī handful of players, before their departure, practised on a dusty pitch at the Bon Andrews Oval in North Sydney, specially made to emulate the Indian conditions. Cricket Australia (CA), which last played at this venue only in 2008, called it ‘bone dry’ on Tuesday, adding that it was also sporting loose cracks. Nagpur, traditionally known to favour spinners, will be no different this time around. ![]() It needs to win by a margin of two or more games to move to the summit in all formats of the game, becoming only the second team ever to achieve the feat after South Africa in 2014. Then, there is also a chance of the host getting to leapfrog the Aussies to claim the top spot in the ICC Test rankings. The only way coach Rahul Dravid’s men can qualify without having to bother about other results is by winning at least three games. ![]() ![]() India, meanwhile, is locked in a three-way battle for percentage points with Sri Lanka and South Africa. Australia already has one foot in the title clash at the Oval only a draw separates the side from an official confirmation. The stakes are higher than ever in the current iteration of the series.įirst, a spot in the World Test Championship final later this year is up for grabs. The series gets underway with the first of four Test matches at Nagpur’s Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium from Thursday. The fabled rivalry acquires a prickly edge as India and Australia gear up to joust for supremacy in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |