India have your numbers, Aus!

Neither Usman Khawaja nor Steve Smith have scored a Test century since June 2023 and Marnus Labuschagne has only one hundred in his last 10 innings

As much as the recent focus has been on the vulnerability of India’s batting, Australia’s top-order has managed to fly under the radar without uncomfortable scrutiny. Given his recent record leading upto his retirement, India may even be rueful that David Warner has been replaced, most probably by the technically excellent Nathan McSweeney, who is a star in the making.  For all his bristle and aggro, Warner’s last 10 Tests averaged about 26 if you remove one big innings of 166 against a poor Pakistan attack in Perth.  If that was an Indian opener, the local media here would be relentlessly targeting that weak point.

Look deeper and there are cracks in Australia’s armour. Neither Usman Khawaja nor Steve Smith have scored a Test century since June 2023 and Marnus Labuschagne has only one hundred in his last 10 innings.  That is encouraging for India, but also a warning - how long will players of this calibre keep missing out?  But if that’s the argument which is being peddled, the same latitude needs to be allowed to someone of Virat Kohli’s class.  His record in Australia suggests that a big series is statistically likely except for the big curve ball - age!  Many of the key batsmen in this series are no spring chickens, so past records may not be the most accurate predictor this time around.

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Shaky Marnus

Labuschagne for example has a long history of being dropped regularly early in his innings.  If India take their catches, he is vulnerable at No. 3, especially as he is currently in a form slump (by his standards) this summer.  Neither Smith nor Khawaja have peeled off any big scores recently. Travis Head and Mitch Marsh have barely played any red-ball cricket leading into this series.  McSweeney, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey are the in-form batsmen this season so this is where India can take heart - Australia's batting is not immune from their own navel-gazing, as reluctant as the media here are to shift their gaze away from India’s perceived frailties. 

Whether India has the bowling firepower and slips catching excellence to capitalise on this is a moot point.  There will be opportunities to expose Australia, but most Asian touring teams inevitably shell chances. Australia are generally sharp in this area, so India need to match them by not allowing the likes of Smith et al too many second chances.  Kohli will not be counting on any Australian generosity in this regard so India will need to return the favour.  The danger that some touring teams make is that the slips cordon is normally reserved for the veterans who aren’t that keen to chase balls in stadiums but if India's best slips catchers are the youngsters like Shubman Gill, the senior players need to shelve their egos and do the hard yards in the outfield.

Australia’s strong tail

The series may well hinge on the batting returns of numbers eight to 11 and this is where Australia have a distinct advantage. If India’s lower-order can summon the courage to get behind the ball, wear a few bruises and sell their souls dearly, it might go a long way towards winning the series.  Simply backing away and swatting wildly will give Australia a massive advantage. At some point, an Aussie tailender will make a telling contribution.

Pant will be most feared

The most feared Indian?  It’s not Jasprit Bumrah or Kohli.  It’s Rishabh Pant.  He is the genuine X-Factor but for him to make a difference, he will need support from the tail. 

The biggest loss to India?  Ask any Aussie and they will likely nominate Cheteshwar Pujara.  His stoic resistance still brings back nightmares because he is the 
kryptonite that nullifies the potency of a bowling attack that is now long in the tooth.  Which Indian batsman is going to bat long enough to force the Australian quicks to return for multiple spells?  Make this happen and then you test the bench strength.  Perhaps even the physiotherapist’s bench!

Smith, khawaja and labuschagne’s Averages in their last series against NZ

Steve Smith
12.75

Usman Khawaja 
22.00

Marnus Labuschagne 
22.00

Michael Jeh is a Brisbane-based former first-class player

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