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India face unprecedented pressure in Australia

29th November, 2018
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Expert
29th November, 2018
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One of the positives of being a touring side in Tests is you typically have the underdog status and so play under less pressure and scrutiny.

India will not enjoy that luxury in this series in Australia – they are expected to win.

The number one Test team in the world will face an Australian side massively weakened by the banning of three players, including their two best batsmen – who also happened to be their captain and vice-captain.

Were Steve Smith and David Warner playing Australia would be favourites and India would carry far lighter expectations on their backs. But the absence of this pair of superstars means the Indian team, the Indian media and the Indian fans know this is easily their best-ever chance to finally win a Test series in Australia.

Increasing the pressure on India is their series losses in South Africa and England this year.

As the number one ranked team, to lose all three of their away Test series in one year would be a monumental failure.

To top it all off, India coach Ravi Shastri has heightened expectations on his side by recently calling them India’s best travelling Test team of the past 15 years.

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That comment ignored the fact the strong Indian team of the mid-2000s to early 2010s won Test series in England and New Zealand, and drew series in Australia and South Africa.

By comparison, under Shastri’s watch India have not played in New Zealand, but lost 6-2 combined across their series in England and SA this year.

Already Shastri’s team are well behind the count when compared with the aforementioned Indian side which boasted champions like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag and Anil Kumble.

Shastri’s overly-confident comments mean he has staked his reputation and that of his team on winning this series in Australia.

If they fail to complete that task, and India finish the year with series losses against Australia, England and South Africa, they will be pilloried at home.

Knives which have been sharpening for months would be directed at Shastri, at the Indian players who underperformed in the series, and at captain Virat Kohli, regardless of whether he dominates with the bat in Australia, as he did four years ago.

Virat Kohli plays a cover drive

Virat Kohli of India bats (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

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An extraordinarily-competitive cricketer, Kohli will be acutely aware of this. To manage this pressure he’ll also need to control the manic anger that swells within him when he faces Australia.

Never have I seen a Test captain behave with the constant wild aggression displayed by Kohli during Australia’s Tests in India last year, when he continually gave huge send-offs, earning him repeated warnings from the umpires.

I do not believe it was a coincidence that Kohli suffered the worst home series of his Test career, making just 46 runs at an average of 9 against Australia.

Pehaps Kohli will be calmer for the absence of Warner, his long-term verbal sparring partner.

The banned Australian batsman seemed to revel in giving Kohli a mouthful every time he came to the crease and Kohli couldn’t help but respond.

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If Kohli can remain unflustered he very likely will have a big series with the bat. He proved in South Africa and England this year that, with Smith not playing, he is clearly the best Test batsman on the planet and can conquer any conditions.

At his disposal he has a strong side which boasts the most potent pace attack that India ever have possessed.

There are no excuses for India failing to win this series. The Indians know that and it will only make their task more difficult.

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