“Australia can win this series. India more vulnerable at home,” says Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell, a former Australia player and India coach, says Australia may win the forthcoming high-profile four-match Test series since India is “weak” this time due to injuries to important players such as Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah. While the swashbuckling keeper-batter Pant is ruled out for the rest of the year as he recovers from injuries received in a horrible automobile accident, Indian speed ace Bumrah is not included in the Indian team for the first two Tests.

“Australia can win this series. India are more vulnerable at home than they have been for some time due to injuries to key players like Rishbah Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. They will rely heavily on Virat Kohli,” Chappell explained in an opinion piece for ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.

“Visiting teams are often fooled by a game that seems to be going nowhere but suddenly changes at a frenetic pace. The Indians are used to this, so Australia will need to adapt quickly with mind, bat and ball,” added the former India coach.

“Should the pitches favour spin, which is more likely, I expect Ashton Agar to get the nod because finger spin is considered to be more accurate. Anil Kumble who took 619 wickets in Test cricket, rarely strayed off the straight and narrow. His stock in trade were fast, flat leg breaks which were always threatening the stumps. Batters knew if they missed, they were in trouble. Jadeja’s stock in trade is similarly unerring. Agar has got to emulate their roles. One bowler leaking runs will be the difference in a tight contest,” he added.

Chappell believes that finger spinner Ashton Agar, Australia’s lone left arm bowler, should be favoured to partner Nathan Lyon on turning surfaces. Chappell, however, said that Australia will also have issues to iron out.

“David Warner is in patchy form and needs to improve his Test record in India; Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Travis Head and Cameron Green will be tested against better quality spin than they encountered in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Marcus Labuschagne will be facing his first big test in the subcontinent; and Steve Smith’s recent batting tweaks will be examined more keenly than against the West Indies, South Africa and in the BBL,” he wrote.

Australia has lately won the Ashes as well as series against Pakistan, the West Indies, and South Africa. They will be looking for their first series victory in India in 19 years.

“The Australians will have to summon every ounce of their talent and experience during the next month to succeed. India is no longer the mystery it once was. Tours are more regular and the IPL offers valuable exposure. Attrition takes a huge toll on touring teams. If India are in the contest on day five, they will win,” Chappell explained.

The former captain believes that taking wickets at regular intervals will be critical for Australia.

“Delhi and Dharamshala will be a fortress for India. Nagpur is a red soil pitch on which batting is best on the first three days unless they produce a raging turner. In Ahmedabad there are red as well as black soil pitches and the state of the series will dictate what India order. To win, Australia must get wickets with the new ball. As the ball gets softer, they must bowl frugally and then reverse-swing the old ball. Spin is more of a weapon in India than in Australia, but we must always play our four best bowlers plus Cameron Green,” he added.

The Australian great compared the India-Australia war to a game of chess, quoting Austrian chess player Rudolf Spielmann, who stated, ‘Play the beginning like a book, the middlegame like a magician, and the endgame like a machine’.

“I have seen a lot of Tests in India and it is as much a battle of the mind as of physical skills. What works in India, is not guaranteed to work anywhere else. Winning in India takes pluck, planning, patience and persistence,” Chappell concluded.