India vs Australia 2018-19: 3 issues for India ahead of the Test series
After having levelled the T20 series 1-1 against the Aussies, the Indian Cricket Team is all set for the 4-match Test series that starts tomorrow (December 6). With India holding the number one spot in the test team ranking and Aussies in the 5th, many experts are backing India to clinch the series.
Hopes and expectations are set very high this time when the Virat Kohli-led team take on the hosts. India, over the years, has never managed to win a Test series on Australian soil and with David Warner and Steven Smith out of the Australian cricket team, it is the perfect time for Kohli and team to deliver to the fullest of their potential to win the series. But it’s always clever to never underestimate the Aussies on their soil.
Here are three things that could go wrong for India.
#1 The inconsistency of KL Rahul
The selectors seemed to be constantly showing faith in him. Though he has emerged to be one of the smartest limited-over specialists for India, his inconsistency has never failed to raise numerous questions among the fans and media alike. His recent performance in the T20 series against the Aussies was also nothing to write home about.
He also let down fans when he scored just 3 runs against Cricket Australia XI. With a talented batsman like Prithvi Shaw injured, both the team and fans are counting on KL Rahul to deliver. But with all those inconsistent performances to his book, chances are very high for the batsman to misfire against the Aussies.
#2 Rishabh Pant’s inexperience
There’s no denying the fact how talented this player is; in fact, many claims that Pant is one of India’s best options to fit in Dhoni’s shoes. With Wriddhiman Saha out of the squad due to injury, Pant has earned a sweet spot in the Indian Test team against the Aussies. After scoring a splendid 114 in the final Test match against England this year, Pant has proved himself to be a trustworthy wicket-keeper batsman.
But chances of him misfiring against Australia cannot be neglected. His poor and inconsistent performance in the T20 series clearly shows his inexperience in Australian soil which is the reason why he made it to this three-man list.
#3 Murali Vijay’ poor performances
While many consider him as the finest opener of the Indian side, questions about his inconsistent performances have always hit the news. Though Vijay has always been a classy batsman who is very well-known for his maturity and shot selection on the field, his poor performances recently have worried the team and fans alike.
The batsman recently helped Essex register their fifth win against Nottinghamshire in the county cricket. But his indigent performance against England (He managed to score only 26 runs from 4 innings that includes 2 ducks) remains one of his poorest series till date.
If he continues to bat inconsistently, things might get difficult for the rest of the batting order.