PACEMEN MUST BE NASTY FROM GET-GO
THE composition of our Test team to play India was confirmed this week, with no real surprises in my eyes.
In fact all players, except Shaun Marsh, were part of the team I selected last week in this column — without the hindsight of last weekend’s Shield games.
We have a nice mix of youth and experience and I believe, unlike many, that we can more than compete in this upcoming series.
In fact, I believe we can challenge India if our fast bowlers are on song, aggressive and in the face of the opposition.
Forget the nice guy tactics! Indian batsmen don’t like genuine pace, so our three big quicks must get nasty.
The first Test in Adelaide will set the tone for the summer and I’m delighted to see Marcus Harris get the nod at the top of the order.
He is pugnacious and steely but can also play all the shots.
If he finds the right balance, he may well be the surprise packet of the summer.
Aaron Finch clearly wants to bat in the middle-order, but I believe he should stay at the top.
If so, then for the first time since Bill Lawry and Keith Stackpole, we will have an all-Victorian opening partnership.
Usman Khawaja can move back to No.3 if he’s fit, otherwise the extremely lucky Shaun Marsh will get yet another opportunity.
We welcome back Peter Handscomb to the Test arena, where he and Travis Head should fill the middle-order positions as good players of spin. Mitch Marsh will be at No.6. The Indian squad is strong and led by an aggressive captain and coach in Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri respectively.
Both are super competitive and Shastri has made no secret that they are here to win this series.
His quote was: “Indians always play to win at all costs.”
The men from the Subcontinent will do all they can to upset the Aussie equilibrium and Tim Paine will now face his sternest test as our new leader.
Kohli is an antagonist and loves a fight. The best tactics are to challenge him with skill, pace and aggression, but leave the verbals alone.
The Indian batting line-up is full of talented players and the experience of Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay.
Rohit Sharma (if selected) and Cheteshwar Pujara will be vital.
They have a new open batting sensation in teenager Prithvi Shaw, the former under-19 captain who recently scored a century on debut against the West Indies.
This kid is a star and will excite cricket lovers this summer with his cool head and sublime skill. He times the ball in a similar manner to the great Sachin Tendulkar.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is a dangerous left-hander who will need serious attention in the middle-order at either No.6 or No.7, depending whether the Indians want five bowlers or four in this series.
They have talented all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja or another new face, off-spinner Hanuma Vihari, who are both more than capable of batting at No.7 if they choose to play the five frontline bowlers.
They have always troubled us with their quality spinners, although we are more comfortable in our conditions as opposed to theirs where we are rabbits in the headlights.
I’m not expecting any of our wickets to assist their spinners.
Ravi Ashwin, who loves playing against us, or Jadeja, Vihari and exciting young leg-arm wrist-spinner bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who may well prove a massive headache for us if he can squeeze into the starting XI.
It’s a dangerous quartet to choose from.
The area where the Indians have not been so strong in our conditions in the past has been in the fast bowling department, but this is now one of their strengths. They have plenty of artillery to choose from.
Ishant Sharma is b back k and in fo form and caused some problems for the Englishmen recently in the UK.
His height and bounce can be lethal.
He will have Umesh Yadav with good air speed and an aggressive attitude alongside him and possibly the awkward action of Jasprit Bumrah as the third seamer in their line-up.
They also have Mohammed Shami as a possibility, who can swing the new ball at very good pace or shortversion specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar to choose from.
These are the best five quick men collectively the Indians have ever brought to our shores. Beware.