Chappel fears for Pucovski

Sydney: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell fears India will ‘bombard’ uncapped opening batsman Will Pucovski with short balls if he finally breaks through for his debut Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

The 22-year-old was firming to make his Test debut in the opening match of the BorderGavaskar Trophy series, but his hopes were dashed when he suffered his ninth concussion in Australia A’s warm-up match against an India XI at Drummoyne Oval.

While Pucovski’s latest setback ruled him out of the Adelaide Oval and Boxing Day Tests, the precocious right-hander has since returned to Australia’s squad alongside David Warner and Sean Abbott.

Chappell called for Pucovski to open the batting in the first Test on the back of his wealth of runs in the early rounds of the 2020-21 Sheffield Shield season, which saw the Victorian amass 495 runs at an average of 247.50 across two matches, which included two double centuries. But in the wake of Pucovski’s latest concussion, Chappell is concerned about the Indians’ plans for the young gun if selected.

Any combination of Pucovski, David Warner, Matthew Wade and Marcus Harris could open Australia’s innings at the SCG. At number four in Australia’s batting order, Steve Smith is enduring a wretched summer with the blade, having averaged just 3.33 over the first two Tests. That stands in stark comparison to his Test career batting average of 61.33 and the mountain of runs he’s consistently garnered on home soil since Australia’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash in the 2013-14 summer. Chappell has backed Smith to return to his phenomenal best. “Now, he’s good enough that he’ll overcome it. How quickly will he overcome it? That’s the question for Australia. They need him to overcome it in the third Test.

Australia has been poor in the field this series too, and Warner admitted it will be his ability to field which will determine his participation in the third Test, rather than his ability to run between the wickets.