India are 3-1 down in the five-match series, and the scoreline is due to the struggles of their batsmen, in the main.
Virat Kohli, their captain, has been outstanding in aggregating 544 runs from eight innings, including two centuries and three half-centuries. But the rest of the order has been found wanting.
Cheteshwar Pujara has 241 runs, with a century and a half-century, but hasn’t found runs in his four other outings. Ajinkya Rahane has two half-centuries but, like Pujara, hasn’t contributed in any major way otherwise. Hardik Pandya is the only other India to score a 50 so far.
Australia aren’t in the best possible shape at the moment either. The ball-tampering bans on Steve Smith and David Warner will mean that Australia will miss the services of their two most important batsmen in the India Test series. And Cameron Bancroft, also serving a ban, will not be considered for selection for the first three Tests.
The three premier pacemen – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins – are also recovering from injuries, and the latter two will not be ready for next month’s tour of the UAE, where Australia will play Pakistan.
“The biggest challenge for Australia will be to post big scores in the absence of Warner and Smith. These two were instrumental in Australia getting big scores. Tim Paine is a capable man of leading Australia. He has the requisite leadership qualities but I am more concerned about the batting than captaincy,” argued Watson.
