5 Indian bowlers who have tormented Australia in Tests

Ishant Sharma has been a thorn in the Australian team's side
Ishant Sharma has been a thorn in the Australian team's side previously

The much-awaited Test series between India and Australia is set to get underway on 6th December at Adelaide. Though Australia has reigned supreme in winning the Test series held at Australia, India can fancy their chances of winning the title this time around as Australia will be playing without the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft.

Despite the Indian cricket team coming close to clinch the series in Australia several times, they haven't registered a single title victory to India's name in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy held at Australia. Even though the Indian team is expected to battle a much weaker squad compared to the earlier tours, it is known that modern teams are put strong at home and Australia without much saying, is a tough rival.

Indian bowlers have been the most effective during the tour of Australia and their scintillating performances have led India to come close to lifting the cup. India's chances of lifting the trophy will heavily depend on the bowlers' performances and their adaptability.

On that note, we take a look at the Indian bowlers who have tormented Australia in Tests.


#5 Mohammed Shami

Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 1
Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 1

Mohammed Shami has clearly been one of India's go-to bowlers during the overseas tours. Despite being the pick of the lot during the Test series against South Africa earlier this year, he hasn't been able to replicate his success since then.

In the 3 tests he has played against Aussies, he has taken 15 wickets with best innings figures of 5/112.

However, he can redeem himself back due to the fast pitches in Australia which perfectly suits his bowling. His expertise in swinging the ball both ways has reaped a lot of benefits for him and the Indian team.

#4 Umesh Yadav

CXI v India - International 4-Day Tour Match: Day 3
CXI v India - International 4-Day Tour Match: Day 3

Umesh Yadav will play a key role for India in the Test series against Australia. His bouncers and his ability to reverse swing the ball at will pose a major threat to the Australian batsmen.

In the 11 tests he has played against Australia, he has 42 dismissals to his name. A lot of batsmen have fallen prey to Umesh Yadav's line and lengths in the past.

He would surely have a bigger role to play this time as India is heavily reliant on Umesh Yadav's variations. He can provide the much-needed breakthroughs during the middle overs of the game and turn the momentum in India's favor.

Cricket pundits have batted for Umesh Yadav's inclusion in the playing XI for the first test against Australia at the expense of Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the pitches in Australia are tailor-made for his bowling abilities.

#3 Ishant Sharma

Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 2
Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 2

Ishant Sharma, the tall and lanky pacer is undoubtedly one of the most improved bowlers in the longest format of the game. He has the ability to lead the bowling attack and can be a batsman's nightmare when the ball gets old. Recently, Sharma became one of the seven Indian bowlers to take 250 wickets in Test matches.

Ishant Sharma has a great record in the Tests against Australia. He has effectuated 48 wickets from just 22 matches. Being the senior most member of the team, he has displayed several top-notch performances for the team.

The speed he generates in his bowling has left most batsman clueless in the Australian pitches. He is very lethal with the new ball and has the potential to snap wickets in quick successions. He is more of a workhorse bowler and is greatly known to reverse the old ball.

#2 Ravindra Jadeja

India Test Headshots Session
India Test Headshots Session

Ravindra Jadeja, India's specialist all-rounder has proved his worth time and again against Australia in Tests. Jadeja can be vastly effective with his off-spin and his brilliant cameos in the lower middle-order of the batting.

Jadeja has shown an exemplary record in Tests against Australia as he taken 49 wickets from just 8 matches at a spell-bounding economy rate of 2.17. He is one of the most economical bowlers and can unsettle the batsman at the crease with his deceptive off-spinners. He has also been in great form of late in the domestic circuit.

The pitch in Adelaide Oval is a spin-friendly track and Jadeja can fancy his chances of taking five-wicket hauls. The duo of Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin has made India's spin attack very explosive and their combination also proved to be a breakthrough of a game changer in Test format of the game.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

2nd Test - Australia v India: Day 2
2nd Test - Australia v India: Day 2

Ravichandran Ashwin, India's most trusted spinner for the longest format of the game has undoubtedly been India's backbone of the spin bowling department. He is considered as one of the best spinners as he is the second fastest to take 200 Test wickets and the fastest to 250 and 300 Test wickets.

He holds the first position for the most wickets against Australia among the lot as he has taken jaw-dropping 71 wickets from mere 14 matches. He has been one of the most consistent cricketers and is only behind Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble for the most wickets against Australia in Tests.

Though he has struggled to perform in Australian pitches, he can turn the tides this time due to his exposure to County Cricket. He would look to continue to dominate the Australian batsmen with his carrom balls and off-cutters.

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