India vs Australia 2017: All you need to know about the second Test in Bengaluru
In the aftermath of India’s humiliating loss in the opening Test against Australia in Pune, comparisons soon began to crop up with the euphoric 2001 slugfest between these two teams, 1972/73 home series against England and the 2015 tour of Sri Lanka. While hope often provides succour, the hosts will know that they cannot afford another slip-up as the series enters a tipping point in Bengaluru.
A victory here will be enough for Australia to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as well as to deny India the chance to hold all Test trophies at the same time. Considering the unexpected change in fortunes and the weight of expectations involved, this match will be a massive test of resolve for Virat Kohli’s troops.
Let us take a close look at every aspect surrounding the second Test which is slated to begin on Saturday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
#5 Can Australia’s spin duo continue to impress?
Among the major talking points of the Pune Test was the fact that Australia’s spin duo of Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon managed to out bowl the much more fancied combination of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on a rank turner.
Having earned respect with their performance, the focus will now be on O’Keefe and Lyon to prove that it was not a flash in the pan. With the pitches likely to get better for batting as the series progresses, they may need to come up with different plans to outwit the Indian batsmen. Meanwhile, Ashwin and Jadeja will be well aware that they have to bring their A game against what seems to be a purposeful batting lineup.
Team Form (Last 5 matches in reverse chronological order)
India – LWWWW
Australia – WWWWW