3 things Australia needs to do right to beat India in 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test
Being on the ropes is not something that Australia are familiar with, not for a little while at least. A heavy defeat to start the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, fingers being raised against an aging team, and reports of rifts within the team are now how the Men in Yellow envisioned the start to their home season.
Luckily for them, there is still quite a long way to go in the series, with the massive 10-day gap arguably coming at the right time. While they have been pegged back with a few injury concerns, at the end of the day, they are the defending World Test champions with a realistic chance of retaining their title.
The upcoming second Test at the Adelaide Oval, scheduled to begin on Friday, December 6, presents itself as the perfect opportunity to calm the storm a touch and get the public and the pundits back on their side.
On that note, let us take a look at three things Australia needs to do right to beat India in the 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test.
#1 Top-order needs to blend survival with intent
Jasprit Bumrah rattled the Australian top-order to a great extent, and his threat might be amplified with the pink ball. However, with Adelaide not sporting as spicy a pitch as Perth did, the batters will have a chance to have a say once they have weathered the initial storm.
In the series opener, the openers largely perished without making any sort of an impression. They were either dismissed way too quickly or were trapped back before they inevitably made a mistake. Marnus Labuschagne, for instance, got nowhere in his 52-ball stay at the crease, perishing for just two runs instead.
With a little ease in conditions expected, and with experience of playing against the new ball, the Australian top order can afford to instill a bit more intent to their approach to unsettle the bowlers a touch, and get some momentum under their belts.
#2 Put pressure on India's support bowlers
From an Australian perspective, India's bowling support group had a lot of say in the series opener. With two debutants and a spinner in the mix, Australia arguably did not put enough pressure on them, or at least not for long enough, and allowed them to feel comfortable, which should ideally be a rarity Down Under.
To the newcomers' credit, they bowled well and exploited the frailties in the Australian batting unit. But, the key for the hosts here is to not let them run the side show yet again, and let them know that playing against Australia in Australia is not as easy as it seems.
The pink ball warm-up contest was a great indicator of how the Indian bowling unit, barring Bumrah, can be put under pressure. Australia also have some free-flowing batters in the middle order, well capable of launching counter-attacks to keep the scoreboard ticking.
#3 Use the pink ball to their advantage
Amid a sea of negativity, Australia's dominant record in the pink-ball Test is their strongest pillar. Having lost just one day-night Test in their history, the Men in Yellow have cracked the formula of making the most of the shift in conditions.
As much as India have form, preparation, and confidence under their belts, they will need time to adjust to the pink ball. Australia can use this in their favor. They have a genuine swing bowler like Starc, who can get the pink ball to swing. Scott Boland has been an excellent exponent of the pink ball, getting it to move off the seam, and his record speaks for itself.
As far as the batting unit is concerned, they arguably have two of the best players against the pink ball in the form of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. The imperious duo do not head into the Test in the best of touches but have an incredible record at this venue, and in this form of the longest format, making them a huge threat.
Australia have the luxury of having so many players adept with the pink ball as compared to India, giving them a headstart to potentially level the series.