India’s batting line-up can expect a stiff Test against the Australian pace battery in the coming Border Gavaskar Trophy, and while ex-wicketkeeper Brad Haddin feels the visitors won’t “stand up to” the home team’s fast bowlers, former Australia skipper Aaron Finch believes the batting role of the glovesmen in the two sides — Rishabh Pant and Alex Carey — will be crucial.
Mitchell Starc, skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are expected to put up a stiff challenge for India in the five-Test series, which begins on the pace-friendly pitch at the Optus Stadium in Perth on November 22.
India, who are likely to be without their captain and opening batter Rohit Sharma for the first Test, are already struggling to find an opening partner for the young Yashasvi Jaiswal, with the available options KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran displaying poor form while appearing for India A in the unofficial Test series against Australia A.
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“I don’t think that the Indian batters are going to stand up to our quicks,” said Haddin on the LiSTNR Sport podcast. “I know Jaiswal is a really good player, but he hasn’t come out and seen Australia before, so I’m not sure whether he is going to handle the bounce. Opening in Perth is hard work.”
Joining Haddin on the podcast was Australia’s former white-ball skipper Aaron Finch, who felt it could well be a series of the bowlers as both the teams boast of quality pacers in their respective squads.
Finch, who was there in the podcast with Haddin, believed that Australia’s top order will struggle equally against Indian fast bowlers. On that note, Finch added that the role of the wicketkeeper-batter in the lower middle order is going to be crucial.
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“I think the key could be Alex Carey and Rishabh Pant, the two wicketkeepers are going to be so important. At one time or the other in the series, the top order will get knocked over. Both fast-bowling attacks are so good that they will get on a roll and knock over the top order. So for me it’s that really crucial role of Alex at No. 7 and Rishabh at No. 6 likely,” said Finch.
“Carey is aggressive, Rishabh is aggressive. The game is going to go one or two ways really quick. And I think that will be so important…Both batting line-ups haven’t been at their best for a little while and that’s why the ‘keepers are so important.”
India are coming into the BGT on the back of an embarrassing 0-3 whitewash in the home Test series against New Zealand, which witnessed the Indian batting line-up repeatedly failing to fire as a unit.
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The former Australia opener added that the second new ball can change the “momentum of the game”.
“Maybe it’s the second new ball, where you are five down and it’s coming just before stumps, and they take it for 50 (runs) in those 10 overs. It just changes the whole momentum of the game. I think it’s so important that No. 7 has an impact on the game because in my opinion, both fast-bowling attacks cancel each other out,” he added
