Australia vs India Test series: 5 interesting things to look forward
A Test series between India and Australia has to be the most anticipated series among cricket fans in recent times, probably along with the Ashes. India will to play 4 Tests this summer down under and is currently the holder of the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Virat Kohli’s men created history in 2018 when they became the first Asian team to win a Test series Down Under. It was an incredible performance, albeit in the absence of Australia’s two premier batsmen David Warner and Steve Smith.
It will be another exciting contest between two powerhouses of cricket. Let us look at five key things to look forward to in the upcoming Test series.
#1. A Different 22 Yards
The 22 yards in Australia have changed dramatically in the last few years, mainly due to a drop in surfaces. The pace and bounce have subsided, and the pitches are no more unplayable for subcontinent teams.
In the past, the beauty of Australian Test pitches was the stark difference from one ground to another. While the WACA in Perth offered a lot of pace and bounce, seam bowlers loved the Gabba in Brisbane and SCG brought the spinners into the game. Batsmen loved the flat track at Adelaide Oval and MCG.
It is not the case anymore as most grounds have adopted an artificial drop in surfaces, which has made everything similar and is less challenging for the touring teams.
It will be interesting to see how the curators prepare pitches for the Test matches against India. In earlier times, a grassy wicket was a no-brainer. But now that India have three genuine quicks who run through batting lineups, it's a different story.
It will be a Catch-22 situation for the groundsmen to prepare a wicket that will suit the home side.