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Australia in India? It will be 4-0, and it will be ugly

24th December, 2016
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Ravi Ashwin is in a different kind of strife. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Expert
24th December, 2016
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No matter what happens with the Australian Test team between now and February it won’t matter – they’re destined to be mercilessly flogged on their tour of India. The Indians at home are the definition of unbeatable.

While Australia still have two Tests remaining against Pakistan before heading to the subcontinent, the horrific 4-0 hammering England copped from India the past six weeks is a sign of what’s to come for the boys in baggy green.

India closed out that series on Tuesday with a second successive innings victory. It was the fourth heavy win on the trot over England, who are now mired in a deep form trough, having only won only one of their past eight Tests, and none of their past three Test series.

To be fair to England, though, there is not a team in the world capable of competing in India, except perhaps for Pakistan, who haven’t played in a Test there since 2007.

India now have gone 19 Tests on the trot without losing at home, a sequence which stretches back four years. That includes their famously brutal 4-0 flaying of Australia in 2013, a tour which ripped the visitors apart.

By the end of that series the Australian playing group was firmly fractured, four players had received disciplinary suspensions and coach Micky Arthur was a dead man walking. Australia trialled four different top-three combinations in that series as they scrambled forlornly to address their batting collapses.

In that series Australia had only two batsman who averaged better than 33. It was, in my opinion, the lowest ebb for Australia’s Test team in the past 25 years. The bad news for Australia is India are a better Test team now than they were back then.

Indian superstars Ravi Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Ravi Jadeja are, without doubt, superior cricketers to their 2013 selves. Apart from MS Dhoni, India’s batting stars from that series are still around in Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan.

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India have also added to their mix a raft of gifted newcomers. These include stylish opener KL Rahul who cracked 199 against England last week, strokemaker Karun Nair who smashed 303no against the Poms in the same match, and spinning all-rounder Jayant Yadav who averaged 74 with the bat and 29 with the ball in that series.

India have such an embarrassment of riches that to keep Nair in their Test team they’d likely have to overlook classy middle order accumulator Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane not only has a wonderful Test record of 2272 runs at 47 but he also was a standout on India’s last tour of Australia, piling up 399 runs at 57.

Since 2013 the Indians have also unearthed something they had not boasted in years – a world-class paceman in the form of right armer Mohammad Shami. Australian fans will be familiar with the talents of Shami, who bowled very well across the four Tests down under in 2014.

Despite the extremely flat nature of the pitches in that series, Shami was a constant threat and finished with 15 wickets at 36 from three Tests. To understand just how impressive an effort that was for an Asian paceman, compare his series figures to those of Mitchell Johnson (13 wickets at 35), Ryan Harris (10 wickets at 33) and Mitchell Starc (seven wickets at 36).

The presence of Shami means India’s attack boasts a significant weapon beyond their trio of spinners. Against England Shami outbowled all of the Poms’ quicks, including Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

In the past Australia have fancied their chances of scoring against the new ball in India, because the home side often had a weak pace battery. But Shami will provide a stern test to Australia’s batting line-up before they face the inevitable trial by spin.

Meanwhile, India’s batting line-up is hugely intimidating in home conditions. Superstar Virat Kohli is in rampant form and delights in playing Australia, against whom he has caned six tons from just 12 Tests.

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India had four different opening pairs against England yet that still didn’t disrupt their batting. Such is their depth of talent at present.

What makes their smashing of England even more remarkable is that none of the five pitches used in the series were raging turners.

There were times when the slow bowlers received generous assistance from the surfaces. But there wasn’t a single pitch which offered sharp turn for all five days. Overall, the decks were very fair and gave England a sporting chance of winning.

India were just far too good. And they will be far too good again when Australia tour. It will be ugly.

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