Australia vs India 2018: India Bowlers Are Going to Hold the Key - Sunil Gavaskar

Former legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar believes Indian bowlers are going to hold the key for the series Down Under. The Indian pace battery has shown the right promise to do well. The fast bowlers had scalped all the sixty wickets on the South African tour. Subsequently, they also went on to well on the England tour. Therefore, the bowlers will be expected to hit the straps.

However, India’s batting, which has the team’s strength over the years, has let the team down. Indian captain Virat Kohli has been the lone warrior for the team. Hence the team requires a collective batting effort, which wasn’t the case on two previous foreign tours.

Consequently, Sunil Gavaskar believes if the batsmen can put 350 runs on the board and the bowlers can continue to do their good job, India will have their chance to beat Australia.

“India has a tremendous bowling attack and that gives us our greatest hope of beating Australia this time – England and South Africa, they took plenty of wickets. Our bowlers are going to be the ones who are going to win us the matches…350 runs are what I would want the Indian batsmen to do – that gives our bowlers the chance to wrap up things for us,” Gavaskar told India Today.

Furthermore, the Little Master backs Murali Vijay and Prithvi Shaw to be the opening pair for India. Gavaskar wants to drop KL Rahul from the final XI. Vijay had scored 402 runs on 2014 tour, whereas Rahul isn’t in the best of forms. Moreover, Shaw had a fine start to his Test career against the Windies.

“I want India to go in with six batsmen. For the first couple of matches, India’s batting always needs some back-up. Whether it is Murali Vijay or KL Rahul, that is going to be a tricky thing. I will pick Vijay because of his greater experience and the way he played in Australia in 2014…he got a hundred at the Gabba – he may get in just ahead of KL Rahul”.

Surprisingly, Sunil Gavaskar wants India to field two spinners in the first match. Gavaskar backs Kuldeep Yadav to be in the playing XI, who can be the X-factor.

“I will go in with both spinners – Kuldeep and Ashwin…Pant at six. Ashwin at 7. Clearly Pant is in form – six batsmen.. Ashwin with his batting capabilities, Bhuvneshwar at 8. Kuldeep, Shami, Bumrah.”

India is yet to savour success on the Australian soil. With Australia at its lowest point, it would be a perfect chance for India to win the series Down Under. The first Test match will take place at Adelaide from December 6.