Australia vs India 2018-19: 5 tactical factors that India need to consider to ensure success Down Under
India begin their Test series against Australia at Adelaide on 6th December, and this is widely regarded as the best chance for them to register a maiden series win in the Kangaroo nation. The absence of the two best players from the opposition combined with a good bowling lineup in the visitors' team makes the contest very even.
Team India have been at the top of the ICC Test Rankings for a while now. They have thoroughly dominated all the teams during their home run of Tests, and look balanced enough in all departments to compete well across different conditions. Hence, prior to the tours of South Africa and England this year, they were expected to deliver great performances and achieve series triumphs.
However, despite being highly competitive and even occasionally in commanding positions on numerous occasions, India could not drive home the advantage. They lost the series 1-2 against South Africa and 1-4 against England.
While the series defeats were primarily owing to the failure of the batting lineup (apart from Virat Kohli) to complement the efforts of the bowlers (who picked up the 20 wickets in 6 out of 8 Tests), there were many tactical factors which contributed to changing the outcome of the matches.
In this article, let us have a look at such tactical factors which the captain and the management need to consider to improve their overseas record.
#1 Maintain a balance between stability and flamboyance
Ever since Kohli has assumed the mantle of captaincy, his approach has been to play an aggressive brand of cricket. He prefers bowlers with pace rather than mere line and length control, and has developed a good fast bowling unit.
In the batting department too, the players are being asked to bat freely. Strike rates are also considered for evaluating performances, even in the Test format.
While these things are definitely beneficial for the team, they have also resulted in some players having to tamper with their natural game - which in turn has hampered their performances. An example in this regard is Cheteshwar Pujara, who has often been at the receiving end for his defensive batting, and his place is always scrutinized after a few low scores.
On the other hand, stroke-makers like Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are given opportunities on the basis of their magnificent records in the shorter formats.
On the away tours, the likes of Murali Vijay, Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, with their defensive techniques, are immensely important to complement the brisk scoring of Kohli, Rohit and Rishabh Pant. Hence, the team management needs to strike a balance between solid and flamboyant players, especially on overseas tours.