Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has said that India will have the upper hand and Australia will have a tough time outplaying them in their backyard.
The former Australian skipper also said that the Indian skipper Rohit, Kohli and Pujara will have to establish a “mental superiority” over spinner Nathan Lyon. Notably, Lyon has taken 34 wickets in his seven outings against India.
“One of the main tasks for Indian players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara will be to establish mental superiority over Lyon. If Australia can’t rely on Lyon claiming regular wickets at an acceptable rate, their bowling will then depend greatly on the ‘big three’,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
Chappell also feels that India needs to stop Steven Smith from scoring big.
Steve Smith has scored 1742 runs in 28 innings at an average of 72.58 against India in Tests.
“The main task for India’s bowlers will be to find a way to keep the heavy-scoring Smith quiet. If India is able to limit Smith and Lyon’s success they will be on the way to winning matches,” Chappell added.
