India will find it tough in first two Tests: Akram

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels India may struggle against Australia in the first two Tests.

The series begins with the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Monday. Akram, while recollecting his playing days for Pakistan, said they found it extremely tough in the initial matches in Australia and India will also be tested.

“Any team will struggle in Australia, especially in the first two Tests. It takes a lot of time for visiting teams to get into the groove of playing under those conditions. Be it New Zealand, Pakistan or India, you are bound to find it hard to play there. I toured Australia 10 times and we found it very tough for the first two games. So, India will also struggle and better be careful, they do not want to be 2-0 down straight away,” Akram told ESPN.

Injuries to key players and an inexperienced Australian side has led many pundits to believe that India would start as favourites in the series.

Australian legend Ian Chappell said that this would be India’s golden chance to register their first series win Down Under.

“It is India’s best chance to beat Australia in Australia. The Aussies have been inconsistent and there have been unbelievable number of injuries,” Chappell said earlier.

Akram though disagreed with Chappell’s views and said that India should not even be thinking of a series win right now and rather concentrate on coming out unscathed in the first two Tests.

“India really have to work hard to do well and compete in the series, forget winning it for now. As I said earlier, the first two Tests they need to be very careful. It is extremely difficult to say which way the series will pan out but as of now it hardly looks like India will win,” Akram said.

The Pakistani pacer also differed with Chappell’s take on the combination of the Indian team for the first Test.

Former Australian captain had earlier said that it would be a mistake if India picked Virat Kohli over Rohit Sharma in the starting eleven.

“I think Rohit should be preferred. I have seen him taking on the Australians, playing the horizontal shots. But playing Kohli will be a mistake,” said Chappell.

Akram, on the other hand, felt that Virat Kohli should be India’s No.6 after scoring a hundred in the second practice game against Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI at Canberra.

“My theory is whoever has hit a hundred under those conditions must be picked. Kohli is a good fielder and so is Rohit, but the former has peaked at the right time under Australian conditions. Kohli’s timely ton in the practice game means his form is right up there and has the confidence that he can score on these bouncy tracks in Australia,” said Akram.