5 dilemmas for India ahead of first Test against Australia

India’s tour of Australia is going to officially kick start next Tuesday after the turmoil the cricketing fraternity has had to go through over the last week. It’s tough for the players to fight their emotions in the ultimate test of playing a Test match.As Rahul Dravid has said, the Indian squad is looking “well balanced and fresh” and they have to leave the horrors of the humiliating whitewash in Australia in 2011-12 behind them. India are considered to be slow starters as far as overseas tours are concerned. Starting the series in Adelaide might be a little advantageous as it is the venue where India have generally played well.Now, it's up to the captain and selectors to play an attacking eleven that can get through the heat and thunder down under. The team management face 5 dilemmas that could eventually become the key factors on which the outcome of the series will depend on:

#1 Openers

Shikhar Dhawan had a torrid time playing the new ball against the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad in England. Murali Vijay somehow managed to get through the storm and was able to give India a solid start in the second Test, the only one India won in the series.

KL Rahul is a rookie who has done really well in the recent past in first-class cricket, pushing the selectors to get him into the Indian squad and is now fighting for a spot in the top-order by attempting to dethrone Dhawan from that spot. If Rahul gets a nod ahead of Dhawan, it will be two one-dimensional players which will play into the hands of the ever attacking Australians. The rookie needs some time to get used to the conditions before he gets a look in.

KL Rahul’s FC stats

	Matches	Innings	Runs	Avg	StrikeRate	50	100
Overall	27	44	2100	51.22	51.66	8	6
From Jan 2013	20	31	1650	56.9	51.31	6	5
From Jan 2014	8	12	728	66.18	56	2	3

 

Shikhar Dhawan’s Test stats

	Matches	Innings	Runs	Avg	Strike Rate	50	100
Overall	10	17	656	38.59	66.8	1	2
Home	3	3	243	81	102.96	0	1
Overseas	7	14	413	29.5	55.3	1	1

 

Murali Vijay’s Test stats

	Matches	Innings	Runs	Avg	Strike Rate	50	100
Overall	27	47	1706	36.3	44.93	6	4
In England	5	10	402	40.2	38.14	2	1