A series of four Test matches is to be organized between India and Australia during February-March. This Border-Gavaskar series is very important in order to reach the final of the World Test Championship 2021-23. This time the Test series against Australia is not going to be easy. Australia’s recent form has been great and they are number one in the Test rankings and points table of the championship.
The first Test match of this series between the two countries is to be played in Nagpur from 9 February. That is, only 20 days are left for the start of the Test series. In such a situation, Indian players will have to work on their weaknesses from now on. There will also be some challenges in front of the Indian team in this Test series. Let’s know about this…
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Dealing with Steve Smith: Steve Smith has been proving to be a headache for the Indian team. Smith’s record against the Indian team has been excellent and he has scored 1742 runs in 14 Tests with the help of eight centuries. During this, his average has been 72.58. The last time when the Australian team came to India to play the Test series, Smith scored 499 runs with the help of three centuries. Smith is still running in excellent form and after scoring a century in the third Test against South Africa, he has also scored a century in the Big Bash League.
Virat’s Test Form: Team India’s former captain Virat Kohli is showing amazing game in limited overs cricket but his current form in Test cricket has not been anything special. Kohli has not been able to score a century in Tests since 2019. He was able to score only 45 runs in the two-match series against Bangladesh in December last year. Virat Kohli has also been suggested by Ravi Shastri to play a first-class match instead of playing the third ODI against New Zealand, so that momentum can be gained for the Test match.
Bite of Nathan Lyon’s spin: Dealing with off-spinner Nathan Lyon will be a big challenge for the Indian batsmen. Experienced Nathan Lyon has proved to be very dangerous on Indian pitches. India’s Nathan Lyon has taken a total of 34 wickets in 7 Test matches. The Indian team management will have to make a special strategy against 35-year-old Nathan Lyon. If this happens, the way against the Kangaroo team can be easy.
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Wicketkeepers lack experience: Rishabh Pant is in the hospital after being injured in a road accident and is expected to stay away from cricketing action for several months. Due to the absence of Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat and Ishaan Kishan have been selected as wicketkeepers in the team. The special thing is that both the players have not made their Test debut yet and they have only first class experience. Wicketkeeping against spin bowlers has always been a challenge in Indian conditions. In such a situation, Bharat and Kishan will have to prepare from now to overcome these challenges.
Openers will have to give a good start: In the Test series, KL Rahul or Shubman Gill will be seen opening with captain Rohit Sharma. Indian openers will have the responsibility of giving a good start while dealing with the new ball. If the Indian team gets a good start, then the work will be easy for the rest of the batsmen.