Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India's Test team must overcome obstacles while honing their batting endurance in Australia through secretive practices.
New Delhi: The senior India Test team would have like to enjoy a tour game or two prior to the start of the Border Gavaskar Trophy's first Test in Perth on November 22, based on the results of the India A vs. Australia A matches.However, the India team firmly believed that warm-up games were worthless, so they put the players through their paces at the WACA stadium in Perth. However, there's a catch: only the plyers are aware of what precisely happened during the net session because it was conducted behind a black curtain and photography and video were forbidden.
India's biggest concern right now would be the batting, but the bowlers have their own catching up to do down under. The victories in the last two tours, 2018–19 and 2020–21, were based on occupying the crease and establishing the innings for the hitters to follow in addition to aggressive batting.
For example, in 2018, the Indian team faced 4387 balls en route to their first-ever victory in Australia. In a series that came right down to the wire, Australia's hitters played 4188 balls. Cheteshwar Pujara, who batted at an amazing 1258 balls to score 521 runs at an average of 74.42, was India's main differentiator.
Pujara batted 928 balls of India's 4123 deliveries faced in the 2020–21 series, despite not being as good as he was on the previous visit. The collapse at Adelaide in the first Test, where the second innings lasted only 21.2 overs, should also be taken into consideration. Australia, in contrast, hit 4036 balls.
Although the circumstances in India are obviously quite different, the hosts only batted 2053 balls in three Test matches during the most recent series against New Zealand. Finding a way to stay in the center long enough to make the aggression count is more difficult for many players in the current lineup than actually making shots.
And they could want to learn from Australia's opener, Usman Khawaja, in this respect. With a 48.29 lifetime strike rate, the left-hander is aware that the only goal that truly matters is one that aids in the team's victory.
Khawaja told reporters at the Gabba on Wednesday, "I don't know where this myth started that you need someone to score really fast to do well." "I think it's a myth."
"As an opener, your goal is to score runs," he continued. You have five days to do it. Last summer, we didn't have a single Test match for five days. Therefore, I'm not sure why you need to score quickly.
For example, in 2018, the Indian team faced 4387 balls en route to their first-ever victory in Australia. In a series that came right down to the wire, Australia's hitters played 4188 balls. Cheteshwar Pujara, who batted at an amazing 1258 balls to score 521 runs at an average of 74.42, was India's main differentiator.
Pujara batted 928 balls of India's 4123 deliveries faced in the 2020–21 series, despite not being as good as he was on the previous visit. The collapse at Adelaide in the first Test, where the second innings lasted only 21.2 overs, should also be taken into consideration. Australia, in contrast, hit 4036 balls.
Although the circumstances in India are obviously quite different, the hosts only batted 2053 balls in three Test matches during the most recent series against New Zealand. Finding a way to stay in the center long enough to make the aggression count is more difficult for many players in the current lineup than actually making shots.
And they could want to learn from Australia's opener, Usman Khawaja, in this respect. With a 48.29 lifetime strike rate, the left-hander is aware that the only goal that truly matters is one that aids in the team's victory.
Khawaja told reporters at the Gabba on Wednesday, "I don't know where this myth started that you need someone to score really fast to do well." "I think it's a myth."
"As an opener, your goal is to score runs," he continued. You have five days to do it. Last summer, we didn't have a single Test match for five days. Therefore, I'm not sure why you need to score quickly.
It takes more than just throwing punches to win a five-test series. Additionally, it's about physically harming the opposition. The fight between Pat Cummins and Pujara was one of the series' high points in 2020–21. The Indian middle-order batsman scored 271 runs while facing 928 balls, including series-defining performances in Sydney and Brisbane, but the Australian pacer defeated Pujara five times in eight innings.
India's hitters have already demonstrated that they are able to bat for extended periods of time. Both Rohit Sharma's performances (369 runs at an average of 52.57) during the 2021 tour of England—when his strike-rate was only 42.49—and Yashasvi Jaiswal's 387-ball 171 immediately spring to mind. However, in some way, this intention has been overlooked.
India's hitters have already demonstrated that they are able to bat for extended periods of time. Both Rohit Sharma's performances (369 runs at an average of 52.57) during the 2021 tour of England—when his strike-rate was only 42.49—and Yashasvi Jaiswal's 387-ball 171 immediately spring to mind. However, in some way, this intention has been overlooked.
Khawaja stated that opening is more about scoring runs than it is about absorbing and batting time.Dave Warner was unique. He could absorb and score runs. He was laying the groundwork for the men to score runs later on (in the order). And those two, in my opinion, are both quite significant.
That's something Nathan (McSweneey) excels at. He can bat time in addition to scoring runs. If you want to build up games to win in Test cricket, these are incredibly crucial components to have.
That's something Nathan (McSweneey) excels at. He can bat time in addition to scoring runs. If you want to build up games to win in Test cricket, these are incredibly crucial components to have.
Therefore, for many of the Indian batters, it will truly come down to mind-over-matter. Will they choose to stick with their existing strategy and hope it works against one of the top attacks in world cricket, or can they make the mental shift that Australian cricket frequently requires?
One won't really know what the Indian team is capable of till they play in the first Test match at Optus Stadium because they will rehearse behind closed doors.
A "spicy" surface is reportedly being prepped, and India's problem is that they don't have much time to practice batting.
One won't really know what the Indian team is capable of till they play in the first Test match at Optus Stadium because they will rehearse behind closed doors.
A "spicy" surface is reportedly being prepped, and India's problem is that they don't have much time to practice batting.
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