IAN CHAPPELL

Steve Smith’s Australia face the daunting task of trying to defeat a buoyant India, ably led by Virat Kohli.

To put the task into context; in 13 Tests, Kohli is undefeated as a captain at home. The closest any team has come to victory over a Kohli-led side was South Africa’s 108-run loss in the opening Test of their series. That was the first in the 13-match sequence and what has followed has been a succession of even greater Indian triumphs over increasingly hapless opponents.

Australia will need to be mentally tough as well as maintain a high skill level to halt this trend.

Smith’s team has prepared diligently, albeit mostly on specially concocted pitches in Dubai. This raises the question whether the Australians were better off in the relative comfort of the nets or if it would’ve been wiser to challenge themselves in the highly competitive atmosphere of the Sheffield Shield.

In general, nothing beats confidence acquired from making runs or taking wickets in a competitive atmosphere. The Australians might have gained some insights from practicing on spinning pitches in Dubai but until they’re tested out in the middle in the heat of battle, those discoveries are only theories.

In addition to whether they can make enough runs to challenge India or keep the home side’s rampant batsmen in check, Australia has three main headaches.

Should they prefer the inexperienced but promising Matt Renshaw over the talented but injury prone Shaun Marsh in the opening position?

Given the adjustments Renshaw has made in each successive Test he’s played and his catching ability at first slip, he should get first crack as opener.

If Renshaw is selected, the elder Marsh will then bat in the middleorder. Australia then has to decide whether Usman Khawaja is used to bolster the batting or if they utilise an all-rounder at six. If they opt for an all-rounder is it