Despite the win in Adelaide, captain Virat Kohli conceded that there were a few areas where the team needs to work on. He wants the batsmen to follow the template set by Cheteshwar Pujara and play according to the requirements of the match.

Yes, India emerged on the right side in Adelaide, but at various times during the course of the match, there were instances when loose cricket was played by the visitors which could have tilted the match in favour of the Australians.

There are areas of concern and here we identify three specific areas which the team management needs to iron out before the Perth Test match.

ALSO READ: Team India Report Card - How Virat Kohli and Co. fared at Adelaide Oval

Opening woes

The pitch at the Adelaide Oval was a flat one, but it had enough assistance for the bowlers, especially with the new ball. Kohli won the toss and batted first, but India got off to a very shaky start on the first morning owing to very loose strokes outside the off stump.

The captain wants his batsmen to put a price on their wicket, much like the way they approached the second innings. The pitch at Perth will be a spicy one and this warrants a cautious approach. The openers will be under the scanner as their performance could well determine the result of the match.

Contribution of the lower order

India were in a commanding position in the second innings and had a chance to bat Australia out of the match. However, the lower order collapsed as India lost their last 5 wickets for 25 runs and this gave the hosts an opportunity to assert themselves.

While this did not matter in the end, but the lower order should dig in and contribute more for the side.

“We were expecting at least 25 runs. That’s an area where we are continuously looking to improve. And we hope the lower order, especially number 9, 10 and 11 show more application than they did today,” batting coach Sanjay Bangar said at the end of day 4.

Allowing the tail to wag

It has long been an Achilles heel for the Indian side - their inability to wipe off the tail and this surfaced once again during Australia’s chase at the Adelaide Oval.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood are no slouches with the bat and the Indian team management needs to devise specific tactics for them in the upcoming matches.

First Published: Dec 10, 2018 16:24 IST