India vs Australia Test series: Fast four and Ashwin for Adelaide?

Though the focus is undoubtedly on the pacers, there was a thought of playing wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, but the plan has been shelved for now.
Indian spin bowler R Ashwin (File photo | AP)
Indian spin bowler R Ashwin (File photo | AP)

CHENNAI: It has been going around for some time now that this is India’s best chance to win a Test series in Australia. Most of it flows from the hosts being without two of their best batsmen Steven Smith and David Warner. But for those in the Indian camp, the optimism of being the first Indian side to win a Test series in Australia stems from their belief in their bowling arsenal. 

Never mind that Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, who are crucial to India's chances, have among the worst bowling averages Down Under. As much as this tells a story or two about India’s two most experienced bowlers, it is worth pointing out that unlike 2014/15, they are entering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as much improved bowlers, whose game awareness has been on the ascendance with each series they have played.

At the moment, India seem to be looking at Shami, Bumrah, Ishant and Umesh as the pace combination for Adelaide with Ashwin being the lone spinner. Though the focus is undoubtedly on pacers, there was a thought of playing wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, but that has been shelved for now.

On Day 3 of India’s practice match against CA XI, the bowlers toiled hard, accounting for only six wickets, with Mohammed Shami being the lone one who shone bright, picking up three wickets. While Ishant ended up wicketless,  Ashwin got one, but at least the team management isn’t sweating.

They have reasons not to. Though the team has been meticulous with preparation, the think tank is understood to have left it to the bowlers to understand and find the right line they have to bowl.

“In Australia, we always say that there is a lot of bounce available for the pacers. But, the thing is, it varies from ground to ground and no matter how much of data you feed them (bowlers), they have to adjust on their own. They erred a bit with the new ball, but soon found the right areas,” sources in the squad said from Sydney.

In fact, ever since they landed in Australia, the bowlers have been fed with plenty of videos by team video analyst CKM Dhananjay. He has even been showing them the lengths they have been hitting in Australia, and how close they are to the right areas. Pacers have been told to hit the length that will not allow batsmen to drive or play cross-batted. India are not expecting much swing in any of the venues, but they are hopeful that reverse swing will come into the equation considering the hard outfields. Perhaps it is with this in mind that the Indians didn’t even include Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fourteen for the practice match.

There was talk about including Kuldeep because wrist spinners have traditionally done well in Australia. But India have seen that finger spinners like Nathan Lyon too can be effective, which is why it was not surprising that Ashwin spoke about watching how Lyon operates. During the previous tour in 2014/15, the off-spinner made a few changes to his game, mainly putting more body into the action. That adds more significance, as in Australia, the offie’s preparations have been about getting overspin rather than sidespin.

(venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com)

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