"They will rely heavily on Virat Kohli" - Greg Chappell urges Australia to expose India's vulnerability in upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Former India coach Greg Chappell has opened up on the area Australia could exploit in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The former Australian batter reckons India will rely heavily on Virat Kohli, given the injuries to key players.
Australia will play four Tests in India, starting on February 9 in Nagpur, as they look for their first series win on Indian soil since 2004. The tourists have an uphill task on their hands, though, as they have won only one Test in India in their last four visits. The visitors last held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2015 when they won the home series 2-0.
An 18-player Test squad has been assembled for the Qantas Tour of India in February and March.
Congratulations to everyone selected! https://t.co/3fmCci4d9b
In his column for The Age, Chappell said that Australia could win the series if they put Kohli under pressure:
"Australia can win this series. India are more vulnerable at home than they have been for some time due to injuries to key players like Rishbah Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. They will rely heavily on Virat Kohli."
Rishabh Pant will miss the series after suffering a car accident late last year, while Shreyas Iyer will sit out of the opening Test in Nagpur due to a back injury.
While Ravindra Jadeja proved his worth with a seven-wicket haul for Saurashtra in a Ranji Trophy game for Saurashtra, questions still remain about his fitness, as he has not played international cricket since August. Meanwhile, Kohli struggled in the Test series against Bangladesh, with a highest of 24 in four innings.
"If India are in the contest on day five, they will win" - Greg Chappell
Chappell underlined the need for Australia to be alert, as Tests in India can move quite fast and that the hosts can control the game at any time easily:
"Visiting teams are often fooled by a game that seems to be going nowhere but suddenly changes at a frenetic pace. The Indians are used to this, so Australia will need to adapt quickly with mind, bat and ball. Attrition takes a huge toll on touring teams. If India are in the contest on day five, they will win."
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Australia are currently undergoing a three-day camp at Alur in Bengaluru, where they have prepared spinning tracks to counter Indian spinners in the upcoming series.