Australia vs India 2018-19: 4 Indian players who might struggle in Australia 

India's dominance in home conditions continued as they trounced West Indies in the second Test played at Hyderabad. Team India completed a 2-0 series win and showed their prowess as the number one ranked side in the world.

After the emphatic series win, India's next assignment in Tests will be the 5-match series against Australia down under. Even though Australia are no more the strong side they once used to be, India won't take them lightly.

Australia is a force to reckon with, especially playing at home. Also, they batted out of their skins against Pakistan to save the match in the ongoing Test series thus showing signs of resurgence.

While the form of young batting stars like Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant will please the Indian team management, the form of some senior players will give them a hard time before the Australia series.

Lack of form of these players has been in talks off late and if these players are not able to improve against Australia then it might affect India's chances of winning the Test series. We will look at 4 players who might struggle in Australia.

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#4 Cheteshwar Pujara

Pujara might struggle against the likes of Starc and Hazlewood

Cheteshwar Pujara has been a strong pillar of India's middle-order. The right-handed batsman has played some crucial innings for team India over the years and a lot is expected from him every time he walks to the crease.

Even though he has been highly successful in subcontinent conditions, Pujara's form in the overseas conditions has been found wanting. Moreover, his record in Australia is not impressive.

In India's last tour of Australia in 2014-15, Pujara scored just one fifty and struggled against a formidable Australian attack. Keeping in mind Pujara's latest struggles in overseas conditions, he will be under some pressure against Australia.

#3 Hardik Pandya

Pandya hasn't looked threatening with the ball

Hardik Pandya was supposed to play a huge role for the Indian team in the Test series against England.

The conditions in England are conducive for seam bowling and Pandya's stature as a seam bowler has grown over the last year. Also, Pandya's explosive batting down the order was expected to give balance to the Indian team. But unfortunately, except for the performance at Trent Bridge, Hardik Pandya turned out to be a major disappointment.

Pandya's poor batting technique was exposed by the English bowlers and his bowling wasn't penetrative enough to provide breakthroughs to the team. The all-rounder missed out the series against West Indies because of the injury he sustained in the Asia Cup but is expected to be back in the team for the Australia series.

Australian pitches have been flat in the recent past and Pandya might struggle to get wickets in those conditions. Also, going by his batting exploits at the Test level, he doesn't look good enough as a batsman to play long innings.

#2 Ajinkya Rahane

Do-or-Die series for the Indian vice-captain?

One player who will be playing to save his career in the series against Australia will be Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane's extended lean phase has been a cause of concern for the Indian team.

Rahane, who was once considered India's best batsman overseas, has been awfully out of form. After a terrible series against England, the series against West Indies was seen as a chance for Rahane to redeem himself. He did reasonably well, especially in the second Test, but failed to score a big hundred. Even in the innings that Rahane scored 80, he wasn't at his fluent best.

The Mumbai batsman is one of the senior most players in the side and also the vice-captain of the side. A better performance is needed from him for defeating Australia on their home soil. However, if Rahane fails to deliver, he might make things difficult for himself.

#1 KL Rahul

Failures against Australia might cost Rahul dearly

KL Rahul will be under tremendous amount of pressure when he plays the first Test against Australia. Rahul, who is rated highly by cricket experts and pundits, hasn't been amongst the runs in the recent past.

Except for the brilliant century in the last Test at Kennington Oval, Rahul struggled throughout the Test series against England and failed to score even a single fifty in the first four Tests.

Rahul seems to be unsure about his technique and has been getting dismissed leaving the ball outside off-stump. The opener has also been guilty of wrong shot selections and questions over his temperament have been raised.

Even though batting coach, Sanjay Bangar, and head coach, Ravi Shastri, downplayed Rahul's slump in form, with the highly talented Mayank Agarwal breathing down his neck, Rahul will be aware of the fact that a couple of failures in Australia might cost him his place in the Indian team.