The much-awaited India tour of Australia is all set to begin from Friday (November 27) where both the teams will play the three-match ODI series opener. After the ODI leg, the Aussies will host India in the three-match T20I series.
Although the white-ball series is significant for both the nations, but fans as well as cricket experts are eagerly waiting for the 4-match Test series, which starts from December 17. The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy will take place at Adelaide Oval, and it will be a day-night contest.
However, the worrying aspect for Indian cricket fans is that after the completion of the first Test, skipper Virat Kohli will return to India to attend the birth of his first child. Many cricket analysts are of the opinion that Kohli’s absence in the remaining three Tests will definitely impact Team India’s performance.
Speaking about the same, former Australia captain, Michael Clarke has reckoned that the visiting team might face a complete whitewash in the upcoming red-ball battle. Clarke said that India could be ‘smoked 4-0’ in the Border-Gavaskar trophy if their skipper Kohli does not set the tone in the limited-overs series before his departure.
“These one-dayers and these T20s is where Virat Kohli can really stand up and lead from the front. If India don’t have success in the one-dayers and the T20s, they are in deep trouble in the Test matches, and they’ll get smoked 4-0, in my opinion,” said Clarke on ‘Sky Sports Radio’.
His success in Test cricket has been exceptional: Clarke on Jasprit Bumrah
Clarke further heaped praises on India’s frontline bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The former World Cup-winning captain termed Bumrah as the best bowler in the limited-overs. He further added that Bumrah’s success in the longest format has been excellent as well.
“Opening bowler, probably the best short-form bowler in the world at the moment, but his success in Test cricket has been exceptional as well. He’s quick, he’s got a really different action, so I think he needs to set the tone and be really aggressive to the Australian batters,” added Clarke.
Clarke pointed out the success Bumrah had in the past against Aussie opener David Warner. The former New South Wales cricketer opined that Bumrah should use the short-ball tactic against Steve Smith, like England pacer Jofra Archer did during the 2019 Ashes.
“Again, it’s not just about the wickets he takes; it’s how he bowls. He’s got Davey Warner’s measure at the moment; he’s got him out a number of times. Even to someone like Steve Smith, he’s got to use that short ball consistently and regularly, as Jofra Archer did to Steve Smith in the Ashes,” the 39-year-old added further.
Clarke finished off by saying that both Kohli and Bumrah are India’s mainstay players and possess the ability to show aggression to the Aussies.
“They (Bumrah and Kohli) got to take the Aussies on and those two players are India’s best players to be aggressive to the Australians,” concluded Clarke.
