Australia v India 2019: Three reasons why India might win the third TestÂ
India were widely tipped to endure a string of positive results prior to the tour of Australia. In the series opener at Adelaide, they did just that by taking it session by session, landing the ball in the right areas, and proving it with the bat against a top-notch pace attack.
After the 31-run victory, they traveled to Perth's brand-new Optus Stadium. However, Virat Kohli's troops were simply outclassed by a Nathon Lyon-inspired performance, coupled with two handy innings by Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja.
The result simply set up a stellar, evenly-poised series, that detours to the premier sporting venue of Australia - Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Although the Indians were made to taste defeat, they did play some quality cricket and apart from the final day, never looked beaten. The no. 1 Test side will now be boosted by the return of the lion-hearted Hardik Pandya and Ravichandran Ashwin.
On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why India are favorites to claim a 2-1 lead in the Test series.
#1 The return of Hardik Pandya
After serving his country for 11 Tests in a row across the globe, Hardik Pandya suffered from a back injury in September against the Three Lions. The Mumbai Indians star is expected to be back in contention for the third test. Many pundits, supporters, and experts alike also believe that he will go straight into the starting XI, in place of Hanuma Vihari.
The latter put in a good shift at times but clearly showed discomfort when on the front foot. Now that Pandya is back, on any given day, one would prefer a more experienced, proven and all-round professional.
First and foremost, he will beef up India's pace battery that already consists of world-class and diverse pacers in Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah. His ability to extract bounce off the surface and break partnerships need no further mention.
The 25-year-old is to be plotted at number 6. With the fearless Rishabh Pant to follow at number 7, anyone who knows the gentleman's game would be able to sniff aggressive intent. Both of them are clean stroke-makers, powerful batsmen, and players who can take the game away from the opposition in a single session or period of play.
Brace yourself, Hardik Pandya is back.