The four-match Test series between India and Australia is currently level 1-1 heading into the New Year Test in Sydney starting on January 7. After Australia demolished India in Adelaide by bowling them out for 36, India bounced back under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane as they turned the tables comprehensively and won the Boxing Day Test by eight wickets. This was Ajinkya Rahane’s third win as captain and the Indian cricket team showed that despite the odds and missing some key players, they had the capability to bounce back under any circumstances. Heading into the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Australian team have to come up with plans to counter the Indian cricket team bowlers.
The Australian batting has been heavily reliant on Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith for success. With David Warner expected to come back despite not being 100 percent fit, Australia have a big task mentally. Labuschange has not yet scored a fifty in four innings while Steve Smith has managed just 10 runs in four innings. Australia have reached 200 just once and Labuschagne admitted that the Indian cricket team are operating on a certain plan.
“They've certainly come in with a plan... and made sure they're really not leaving the stumps and having a really heavy leg-side field. It obviously slows your scoring rate down because those shots you do get on your legs go for one, not four. We need to be very disciplined and we also need to come up with ways to put them under pressure,” Labuschagne admitted.
Paine worried
Australia skipper Tim Paine had earlier admitted the same thing which Labuschagne stressed on and felt that the hosts were being bogged down by the relentless pressure applied by the Indian bowlers.
“There's definitely talk about rotating the strike and finding your boundary option. (They are) the normal things you talk about when facing any bowling attack, and where you can get a little upper hand against a certain bowler at a certain time in the game. They're the things we're always talking about and trying to stay on top of, and making sure that when we come in, we are brave enough to take on those options when they arise. It doesn't have to be pretty, we got to keep grinding and finding a way,” Paine said.
India have won only once at the Sydney Cricket Ground and that was in 1978. Since a draw in 2004, India have lost two and drawn two Tests in the last few games.
