Ind vs Aus 1st Test- 5 key battles: Big things will be expected from Virat Kohli’s team India when they take on Australia in the 1st Test in Adelaide starting Thursday. The visitors will start as favourites in Down Under, given the depth in their squad.
Australia will sadly be without their star opener David Warner, who has been ruled out due to a groin injury. To add to their woes is the unavailability of Will Pucovski. He suffered a concussion and has been ruled out of the Adelaide Test.
Nonetheless, the hosts still boasts the likes of Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon, who will give fans enough to cheer for in the upcoming clash.
With the Adelaide Test starting on Thursday, here is a look at the five key battles that could take place.
—- Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Starc
The list cannot start without the best batsman and best bowler of the two sides and this is the battle everyone is looking forward to. Kohli has not been in his regular run-machine form, but expect more out of him as he will be returning home after the 1st Test.
He will be pumped up to reach new heights for India but can expect a match-up in Starc, who will be equally looking forward to the series. The left-arm bowler had missed the T20 series after taking compassionate leave and will want to make the most of his comeback match.
Furthermore, there might be some verbal exchanges too, given the fact, both players are not afraid to speak their minds. It will be interesting to see if they get involved in a war-of-words which will further add to this gladiatorial battle.
—- Cheteshwar Pujara vs Josh Hazlewood
If Starc and Kohli will be a gladiatorial battle, then Pujara vs Hazlewood will be one of pure determination and grit. The two players might not receive the same attention as the aforementioned but they certainly are the vital pillars of the team.
Pujara can grind teams out of the game, as Australia will know very well after they were on the receiving end of a Pujara masterclass in Jharkhand.
Hazlewood, on the other hand, is more in the Glenn McGrath mould and can bowl long and accurate spells. Moreover, the Indian opening combination looks unsettled and that makes Pujara’s role all the more important.
—- Steve Smith vs Jasprit Bumrah
This battle has the strength to give Kohli vs Starc rivalry a run for its money. The two premiers of their respective sides, can win matches single-handedly. Smith, had looked in tremendous touch ever since his claim of “finding his hands”. In the series he has sensational hundreds and has been a big contributor for his side.
Bumrah, on the other hand, had a slow start, but eventually found his IPL form back. He got his lengths right with the new ball and had troubled the opposition in the third ODI. He was, however, rested for the T20 series to manage his workload. And it worked wonders. He has become more lethal with his bouncers and has also learnt the art of batting, something which was seen during the second practice game.
Smith will have to vary of him as batsmen have often found it difficult to pick Bumrah early in the match.
—- Ajinkya Rahane vs Nathan Lyon
Lyon is likely to be the lone spinner for Australia but he enjoys a great record in Australian conditions and is an exception when it comes to off-spinners performing Down Under. He can be especially lethal on Day three and Day four pitches, thanks to his ability to extract spin from the rough.
Rahane comes into the series with the spotlight firmly on him as he hasn’t been in the best of forms of late. But Rahane will draw confidence from his practice game, where he scored a calculative and classic century, which spoke volumes about his confidence.
—-Tim Paine vs Ravichandran Ashwin
Tim Paine has been given the unenviable job of getting Australia back from the doldrums. He will have the responsibility of being the anchor in a shaky middle-order and contribute with the bat. His task will be cut out though, especially in handling Ashwin, who will be looking to improve his record there. Ashwin did not have the most memorable IPL’s and he will be looking to get his mojo back and also answer his critics, who feel he has been too inconsistent in foreign conditions for India.
India Tests Full Squad:
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-capt), Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj
Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner