It stays considered one of — if not the hardest — problem in Take a look at cricket.
Profitable away on the subcontinent is one thing akin to the holy grail for touring groups.
So many have tried and, particularly of late, so many groups have failed.
Australia may have brushed aside South Africa and West Indies in home conditions this summer, however face a vastly totally different take a look at in India this month if they’re to win again the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India’s gorgeous document at residence
India is, it goes with out saying, excellent at residence.
Up to now decade, India has misplaced simply two Exams on residence soil from a complete of 42 matches: when Australia received by 333 runs in Pune after Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe spun India out for simply 107 within the fourth innings in 2017; and when Joe Root’s 218 helped England to a 227-run victory in Chennai in 2021.
When the six attracts are taken into consideration, India has an unbeaten document of a whopping 95.24 per cent at residence prior to now 10 years.
To place that into perspective, Australia is the following greatest, going unbeaten in 88.24 per cent of their residence Exams throughout the identical time interval, with New Zealand following at 87.80.
With stats like that, it follows that India has not misplaced a collection prior to now decade on residence soil.
The final time India did lose a collection was towards England in 2012, 2-1.
The time earlier than that? Australia by the identical 2-1 scoreline in 2004.
Since that 2004 victory by Australia, India has received 25 out of the 30 collection it has performed — with two defeats and three attracts.
General, Australia has received 4 of its 14 Take a look at collection in India, however solely a type of collection victories has come prior to now 10 visits through the previous 44 years.
With an general document of performed 50, received 13, drawn 15 and one well-known tie in 1986, Australia has not executed badly towards India — theirs is the fourth-best win-loss document behind England, Pakistan and West Indies, which extremely has an general profitable document towards India in India.
However with only one win prior to now 15 years and 14 Exams, Australia is very a lot up towards it.
Spin is essential … or is it?
Australia has picked 4 specialist spin bowlers as a part of its 18-man squad and there is good motive for that.
Three of the highest 4 wicket takers in Take a look at matches for Australia in India are spinners: Richie Benaud (52 at 18.38), Shane Warne (34 at 43.11) and Nathan Lyon (34 at 30.58) — West Australian fast Graham McKenzie (34 at 19.26) is the odd one out.
Lyon has been wonderful in India — his common in Take a look at matches there’s 30.58, favourably corresponding to his profession common of 31.65.
In 2017, when Australia final toured, his common was 25.26, when he took 19 wickets within the collection.
Compared to his quick bowling colleagues, Lyon is the one participant whose common is best in India than general.
Nevertheless, Ed Cowan advised the Grandstand cricket podcast that Australia wanted to watch out to not put an excessive amount of religion in spin when Australia’s greatest power stays tempo.
“Australia’s last series win in India was built on fast bowling, not spin,” he stated.
“We get into this trap occasionally, if you can take air speed to India, it’s a huge bonus.”
Justin Langer, who performed in that 2004 collection, agreed.
“We went with the quicker bowlers and the ball reverse swung, and we were just ruthless with our discipline, and that discipline helped us get over the line.”
Spin might be nonetheless key
Quick bowling doesn’t come extra disciplined than that offered by Hazlewood, Cummins and Boland, whereas the air-speed may be offered by speedy however untested West Australian fast Todd Morris, and veteran fast Mitch Starc.
That being stated, it’s greater than seemingly spin will nonetheless be the largest risk on pitches which can be anticipated to be ready to show from day one.
On the previous two Take a look at excursions by non-Asian groups in India — England and New Zealand — spin bowlers have had much more success than their seam counterparts.
When England performed its previous four-Take a look at collection in India, fewer than 25 per cent of all wickets within the collection fell by way of tempo bowling.
In that collection, England took 21 of 58 wickets via a tempo assault that lacked neither accuracy nor air pace itself, that includes James Anderson (8 at 15.87), Ben Stokes (5 at 30.6), Ollie Stone (4 at 17) and Jofra Archer (4 at 30.5). Stuart Broad went wicketless in his two Exams.
India’s seamers, in contrast, took 13 of 80 wickets.
Extra not too long ago, New Zealand’s two-Take a look at collection confirmed an identical sample, with 26 per cent of wickets falling to seamers throughout the collection — helped by Ajaz Patel’s stunning 10-wicket haul in the first innings of the second Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Evaluate that to Australia’s victorious collection in 2004, when the wicket cut up between spinners and seamers was 60:40.
Nevertheless, when England final accomplished a collection win in India, the cut up was, once more, roughly 75 per cent spin.
Sad looking grounds
Australia will play in Nagpur, Delhi, Dharamsala and Ahmedabad on this tour.
From 9 matches at these grounds, Australia has simply two wins and three attracts.
Australia has performed two Exams in Nagpur with a 50-per-cent win-loss document.
After profitable the third Take a look at in 2004, well-known for controversy a couple of pitch seemingly ready to favour Australia’s seamers, the Australians fell to a 172-run defeat in 2008, a match made notable for it being the debut of Jason Krejza, who took 8-215 in his first Take a look at innings, adopted by 4-143 within the second innings.
India is unbeaten in Nagpur in Exams since 2010 however has solely performed 4 Exams on the venue in that point.
India’s actual fortress, although, is within the capital, on the Arun Jaitley stadium, the place it has received all however six of its 34 Exams since 1948.
Australia’s one win in Delhi got here in 1959 by an innings and 127 as Neil Harvey ensured Australia solely wanted to bat as soon as, scoring 114 as Australia made 468 in response to India’s first innings rating of 135.
Skipper Richie Benaud took 5-76 within the second innings to limit India to 206 all out, having additionally taken 3-0 within the first innings.
India have performed 28 instances on the venue since then, and solely misplaced 5 instances, most not too long ago towards the West Indies in 1987.
Australia has been the one Take a look at customer to considered one of Take a look at cricket’s most picturesque venues, Dharamsala, dropping by eight wickets in 2017 regardless of Steve Smith’s 111 and first innings half centuries by David Warner and Matthew Wade.
Nathan Lyon took 5-92 within the second innings of that match, however Matt Renshaw will not have fond reminiscences — as opener he scored simply 1 and eight.
India is unbeaten in its previous 12 Exams on the venue, profitable 10 with two attracts.
Australia has not but performed on the Narendra Modi Stadium — famend as the largest cricket stadium on this planet with a capability of 132,000 — and neither has it performed a Take a look at in its earlier incarnation because the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium.
India has solely misplaced twice in 14 visits there — and beat England there in three successive Exams by 9 wickets, 10 wickets and an innings and 25 runs in 2021.
Comply with all of the motion from India on ABC Sport Digital, the ABC Hear App or by way of the ABC Sport dwell weblog from February 9.
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