How India can use the series against WI to prepare for Australia

The recently concluded series against England is a classic case of what could have been. At Edgbaston and the Oval, India had moments where they could have hold the game by the neck and crush England out of it, but could not hold the noose tight enough. From a fan’s perspective, it is agonizing to see India lose those important moments in an away series yet again. From a viewer’s perspective though, it was a closely fought series. It showcased why test cricket remains the best format to judge a cricketer’s character and class while also providing entertainment that keeps you at the edge of your seat.

The ongoing Asia Cup however provides a perfect camouflage for India’s red ball shortcomings. Indian team plays the 50-over format better than the other two. During the Asia cup, the batsmen are back at their fluent best once again.

It is the red ball cricket where we have a lot to answer especially when we tour Down Under later this year.

I feel India should look at the upcoming series against the WI as an opportunity to prepare for Australia. With some adequate planning and futuristic approach, India can use the upcoming home series to prepare for the 4 match test series against the Aussies later this year. There are some key things that the team needs to assess and work on in order to be well rounded for the series against the Aussies:

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#1 Look beyond Shikhar Dhawan

When it comes to white ball cricket, I will go to the extent of saying that Shikhar Dhawan has not let the absence of Virender Sehwag be felt in the Indian team. He has been a prolific run-getter for India in ODIs in every condition. What makes him special is his ability to deliver when it matters the most during the crucial ICC tournaments.

When it comes to red ball cricket however, he has been found wanting. He has played a few good innings here and there- like his debut innings in which he scored the fastest ever 100 as a debutant but they have largely been in subcontinent conditions and against weaker bowling attacks. Here is a quick comparison of Dhawan’s performance in Asia + Caribbean vs. his performance in the SENA countries (SA, Eng, Aus and NZ)

Picture 1- Analyzing Dhawan's performance in test cricket across various conditions

With 162 runs in 8 innings during the recently concluded tour of England, at an average of around 20 and a highest score of 44, Dhawan’s case for being in the Indian side has grown weaker. India should use the series against the WI to nurture players like Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal and see what they have to offer.

Also, I won’t rule out a possible return for Vijay in Australia, especially since he has found some form in tougher conditions while playing for Essex recently. For the series against WI, I feel we should give the youngsters a chance above Vijay so that we can assess our options for Down Under.

2. Do not tamper with the middle order

England v India: Specsavers 3rd Test - Day Three

During the 2000s, when India finally managed to come to terms with their batting issues outside the subcontinent one thing was consistent - you knew who was going to show up at numbers 3,4,5 and 6. A few failures in a series or in a few matches did not lead to their exclusion from the team. The management understood the potential of Dravid, Sachin, Gangule and Laxman. To put things into perspective, I have compared the performance of Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly during their first and second tour of Australia which demonstrates how these greats developed as players over time and gave better returns with experience-

Picture 2: Even the greats of the game improved over time to achieve what they did

Unfortunately, the current team management has not shown similar support for Rahane and Pujara. They will not admit how much we missed Rahane in the first two tests in SA earlier this year and Pujara at Edgbaston, where the margins of defeat were so narrow.

Having your position in the team hanging by a thread is never a big confidence booster, and this is especially true for Rahane and Pujara who represent the team only in Test cricket. I feel that considering their experience, their technique and the fact that we do not have a player who seems ready to replace them, the two should be supported by the team management.

They should be told that they are the certainty in the XI during the 4 tests in Australia, so that they can go out and express themselves. Both of them played some good knocks in England but barring Trent Bridge, the batting just could not click as a group. Nobody will be surprised if the trio of our current middle order stitch together a few big partnerships in the series Down Under.

3. Stick with Rishabh Pant

England v India: Specsavers 5th Test - Day Five

In his 4 Test matches in SA and Australia, Wriddhiman Saha averaged less than 15 with a top score of 35. While there haven’t been enough matches to judge his caliber, it seems as though Saha has been in the side more for his wicket keeping skills than his batting skills. It will be a little harsh on Saha given that he is the best wicket keeper in the country for test cricket, but I feel India should persist with Rishabh Pant when we tour down under.

Pant’s game is suited for the lower order role of scoring quick runs specially while playing with the tail. If India persists with the 6-5 strategy, Pant’s role becomes an important piece of the puzzle. He has the potential to play some match defining innings through the course of the series. The innings that he played at the Oval should have given him a lot of confidence. While his keeping skills will be tested on bouncy Australian wickets, it will still be easier than the turning subcontinent tracks. Given Saha is currently injured, the two tests against WI will be a good chance for Pant to improve his keeping and get a few runs under his belt as well.

For Saha, I don’t feel this is the end of the road. His services will be needed during the next home season, especially when Pant will probably be a regular in other formats as well post the 2019 WC.

Picture 3: Wicket Keepers across the globe make significant contributions with the bat

4. Assess the 6-5 strategy

For a while now Kohli & co. have made it clear that they prefer going in with 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers in tests. Some experienced ex-cricketers have not really liked this approach and recommended having the extra batting cushion specially at the start of an away series. I for one am in favor of the 6-5 strategy. The drawback of not having an additional front line bowling option is a defensive move and was clearly on display during the last test at Oval where Cook and Root, who just couldn’t score throughout the series made our bowlers toil specially after Ishant was injured.

However, I feel that the team should take this aggression one step further. With Pandya , the 6-5 seems more like a 6-4-1 where we are uncertain of what to expect from him in both batting and bowling department. I feel either Bhuvneshwar or Jadeja will be better suited for the 6-5 strategy. Both of them are accomplished bowlers at the international level and can contribute reasonably well with the bat lower down the order.

Bhuvi is temperamentally stronger than Pandya and Jadeja. He can hang around with one of the top order batsmen to build a partnership lower down the order when needed and has the technique to score a few runs himself. During the SA tour earlier this year, he faced the second most balls among the India batsmen (Kohli faced the most). Jadeja has played some crucial knocks in testing conditions in the past- his half century at Lords in 2014 and Oval at 2018 for example. Only if Kohli manages to win a few tosses in Aus, Jadeja can form a lethal alliance with Ashwin in the 4th innings on the Australian tracks where the cracks usually open up on days 4 and 5.

To assess the three on a same scale, I have included their stats from their performance in England over the years:

Picture 4: Bhuvi or Jadeja have a case to be a part of the team in the 6-5 strategy

5. Keep fast bowlers fit and fresh

England v India: Specsavers 5th Test - Day Two

India dearly missed Bumrah in the first two tests in England. One can only wonder if he would have helped finish the tail in Edgbaston and if he would have helped India put a fight in Lords. Along with Bumrah, Bhuvi, who was India’s man of the series the last time we went to England, was missed throughout the series.

Below is an assessment of the number of overs the Indian pacers bowled in England-

Picture 5: Indian work horses where made to work hard in England

As expected, the fast bowlers had a significant workload in England; Bumrah, who missed the first two matches averages more than 40 overs a match which is like playing 4-5 ODIs without a break. We saw Ishant breaking down in the last innings of the Oval test which can prove costly if that happens to be series decider in the future

Considering the effort that pacers will need to put in to help India deliver a winning performance in Australia, it is imperative for the management to keep the fast bowlers fresh and well rested. The 3-4 bowlers in the frame to play in the test matches should be rested from the T20 series which precedes the test matches. The trio from the England series, especially Bumrah should also be rested during the WI series.

6. Prepare testing tracks

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I don’t expect WI to provide much of a challenge if we offer typical Indian wickets where the spinners take the new ball and most of the games last for 3 innings. This will be counter productive. An easy win against WI on friendly tracks will help neither the batsmen nor the spinners prepare for the challenging situations they will face in Australia. It is imperative for the team management to ask the curators in Rajkot and Hyderabad to replicate the hard and bouncy wickets of Australia as much as possible.

India should be happy if the series against WI turns out to be hard fought instead of a situation where our spinners run through the opposition. It will also provide a chance for our spinners to test themselves on the wickets which are not conducive to spin bowling

I feel the defining factor for our team in Australia will be our batsmen’s ability to counter Nathan Lyon. Off spinners have done well against us for a while now. We have been in situations where we have tackled the front line fast bowlers well only to fall to Lyon in Australia or Moeen in England. Looking at the balance of the Indian side, the fragility of the Australian line-up with the Smith-Warner and the susceptibility of their fast bowlers towards injury, I feel this is the best ever opportunity for the Indian team to win their first test series in Australia. After having learnt a few lessons in SA, coming so close to victory in England, it is time for the Indian side to back itself and create history.