‘Aussies have to strike early, stay patient against Virat’
THE KEY FACTOR Adam Gilchrist feels the better batting unit will triumph, calls India favourites and more balanced India have a stable Test team. Whereas if you look at Australia, I don’t think their selectors are quite sure about the lineup or team balance. ADAM GILCHRIST Matches Runs
SYDNEY: Adam Gilchrist is expecting Virat Kohli to do an encore of 2014-15 Test series but for India to win the coveted Border-gavaskar Trophy, other batsmen will have to rally around their talismanic skipper.
The first Test starts in Adelaide on December 6 and last time around, Kohli had scored hundreds in both innings in India’s heartbreaking loss.
“Going ahead into the Test series, I expect Virat Kohli will have another imperious outing like he did in 2014 (694 runs in 4 Tests at average 86.50). I have spoken to him in the last few days, seen his confidence, and seeing the way he batted in Sydney, I will be very surprised if he doesn’t (score),” Gilchrist said.
“The key for India winning this series though will be batsmen around him. Will they support him enough to allow India to get enough runs, and give their good bowling attack enough opportunity to defend or even bowl Australia twice in a Test?” he added.
When asked if there could be a particular ploy from Australia to stop Kohli, Gilchrist replied,”i don’t think I will be able to pinpoint a plan because I don’t know. At best, Australia will have to be patient. They will have to play good old-fashioned Test cricket. Their best hope is to make early inroads in the Indian batting and bowl at Kohli with the new ball.
“Of course, they have to attack all batsmen and not just him, especially when they are new to the crease. But they also need to know when to go defensive and play the patience game against him for long hours.”
Gilchrist conceded that India start favourites but added that it won’t take too much for Australia to be dominant in their own conditions.
“India start as favourites for this Test series mainly because they have a reasonable idea of their team composition. They have a strong understanding what combination they want to play with.
“Maybe 1-2 spots will be up for grabs but o therwi their playing elevene very much set t. I thi India have a stab Test team. Wh here if you look at AUA tralia, I doo n think the selectors a quite sure abo o the line-up team balance. is a new ph as Australian cr ricket.
Gilchrist sa aid that t not much to ch hoose betwee bowling line-upu of both sides b it’s the battin ng line-up that can eliminate coll lapses will come up trumps.
“Having ss aid that, I think either side can n win the series. It won’t take mu uch for Australia to be confident ini their own conditions and star rt dominating the series. We hav ve seen this happen in the past as well.w
“Both team ms have top-drawer bowling attac cks, so it will come down to whic ch batting line-up can eliminate e collapses.
Kohli talked d about India’s tour of England an nd said that when they were poo or, they were really poor, and hen nce lost. India have only batted reasonablyr well in patches in bot th South Africa and England. They y are favourites, but they also have e to be honest with themselves,” one of the greatest keeper-batsm man of all time said.
Gilchrist al lso said that the 1-1 draw was an ev ven reflection of the T20I series.
“It was a reasonablyasonably eveneven T20IT20I series. India were slightly the more dominant team in two matches. They were certainly unlucky in Melbourne because they were controlling that match. So the series could have finished 2-1 in their favour.”
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