Neither India Nor Australia Have Been Able To Establish Absolute Authority: Ian Chappell

Former Australia captain, Ian Chappell feels that the lack of big scores in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia has made the series exciting to watch. Ian Chappell believes that both the teams haven’t been at their best when it comes to batting, but their bowlers have been terrific in building pressure with less economy rates and taking wickets regularly.

Till the completion of the third Test, no team has breached the 400-run mark even once; only two batsmen – Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith – had scored hundreds ahead of Brisbane Test; and then Marnus Labuschagne at the Gabba. Man of the Series in their previous encounter, Cheteshwar Pujara has averaged an ordinary 30 hitherto in the series.

“The fragility of both teams’ batting has contributed greatly to the enthralling nature of the series. A collapse seems never far from happening, and consequently, neither team has been able to establish absolute authority. The resilience and fight shown by India has been matched by the class of the Australian attack and their never-say-die attitude,” Ian Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.

Indian batsmen are no longer the best players of spin bowling: Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell also opines that the Indian batsmen have not lived up to their reputation of being the best when it comes to playing spin bowling. The 77-year-old observed the visitors were troubled by Nathan Lyon throughout the series, in particular in the third Test at the SCG.

Ian Chappell also reckons it would be great if the two teams, at their full strength, meet in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. At the moment, it’s a three-way battle between Australia, India, and New Zealand for two spots for the final at Lord’s.

“If these two teams reach the final of the World Test Championship and they are both at full-strength, it should be one of the great winner-take-all battles. First and foremost it’s no longer correct to say Indian batsmen are the best players of spin bowling. They may not be worse than some others but they’re definitely not better than the rest overall,” he added.

“There have been times in this series when they certainly were not smart players of spin bowling. In the first innings at the SCG, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara were classic examples. They both plodded forward in defence to ball after ball from Nathan Lyon, which is not only lazy footwork but is also asking for trouble,” writes the former batsman.

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