5 unanswered questions for Australia before the Pune test

The Steve Smith-led Australian team landed in Mumbai last week, with the expectation of beating the team that has won 9 out of their last 10 Test matches on their home turf. When the Australian squad for the highly anticipated contest was announced last month, it was apparent that this team needs more than a miracle to become the first team to beat India on their home soil since 2012.

Indeed after seeing the squad, there are many questions than the answers, more doubts than convictions. Let’s take a look at some of the key questions that will decide the fate of whether this Australian team could prevail in India.

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#5 Will Maxwell give what the team needs?

Glenn Maxwell desperate to prove his worth at No. 6

Maxwell was sidelined for most of the cricketing season last year on account of poor form. In fact, the 26-year-old explosive batsman hasn’t done anything special in the domestic circuit to justify his selection as he managed just 129 runs and a single wicket in the Sheffield Shield cup in December.

The reason behind Maxwell’s selection is perhaps the fact that the hard-hitting right-hander has a lot of experience playing in the Indian conditions. Even his two of three international Test appearances have come on turning wickets in Delhi and Hyderabad. But he didn’t make quite an impact in both the test, scoring just 39 runs in four innings.

In fact, in the three Test matches the Victorian played in the subcontinent conditions, he was shuffled through five positions in the batting order from an opener to No. 8. The team management found it very difficult to get the best out of him and eventually he was dropped after the Abu Dhabi test against Pakistan in 2013.

After nearly four years, Maxwell returns to the Test fold with the expectation of eyeing a permanent spot at No. 6. Apart from his unconventional stroke making, the dynamic all-rounder could also be handy for the team with his loopy off-spin, and that gives the Aussies an option to play with an extra fast bowler.

There is no denying that it’s going to be a boom or bust series for Maxwell and it’s interesting to see whether he can prove his worth against the formidable Indian side.

#4 Will the bowlers take 20 wickets?

Darren Lehmann has already backed the Australian bowlers to take 20 wickets

The Australian bowlers are going to face a daunting task to pick 20 wickets in a match as only twice in the last 8 matches have India been wiped out by the opposition in both the innings. In fact, when Michael Clarke’s Australia endured a 4-0 humiliation in 2013, the Australian bowlers did not pick 20 wickets not even once in the four Test matches.

After the second Test in Hyderabad, the bowlers came under scrutiny and as a result, Shane Watson, James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson were three of the four players suspended by then-coach Micky Arthur for failing to complete an off-field assignment, the infamous homework-gate incident.

The present Australian squad contains only two bowlers from the ill-fated tour but Darren Lehmann has already backed the current bunch of bowlers to have the ability to take 20 wickets. “We’ve got spinners who can take 20 wickets and quicks who can reverse the ball. So we are not fearing to get the 20 wickets, we’ve just got to put enough scoreboard pressure on them. ” said the Australian coach.

There is no denying that Australia’s chances in India would hinge upon their ability to take 20 wickets. They would surely rely on Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, but, are they consistent enough to repeat the performance for a period of 2-3 matches in a stretch remains to be one of the biggest questions.

#3 Handscomb or Wade?

Matthew Wade has scored just 50 runs since his recall

One of the many questions in the Australian squad is the wicket-keeper spot. Mathew Wade is going to be the first choice wicket-keeper as per Australian chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns, after announcing the Australian squad last month. But there are problems if Australia sticks with Wade over Peter Handscomb.

Firstly, his wicketkeeping skills were hugely criticised in Australia’s disastrous tour in 2013. Secondly, the 29-year-old is a left-hand batsman and since there are a lot of left-handers in Australia’s top six, going with Wade would be an added incentive for the No. 1 test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin. In Australia’s previous tour, Wade fell five times to the off-spinners in his six innings. Also, in the four Tests since his recall, Wade has managed only 50 runs at an average of 12.50.

The issues that Wade has at the moment could open the door for Handscomb. The 25-year-old had a stellar start to his Test career, scoring 399 runs in four Tests at an average of 99. In all his four outings, Handscomb played as a specialist batsman for his side but it is unlikely that he will be given the same preference in India.

In a poll on Sporting News recently, nearly 50 percent of the fans were adamant that Handscomb should don the gloves for Australia after the impressive start to his career. Also, if Handscomb is picked over Wade, it gives an option for Steve Smith to play with another specialist batsman.

#2 Can the spinners be successful?

Nathan Lyon and Steve’O’Keefe are expected to start in Pune

In 2012, when England became one of the two teams to beat India in the last dozen years, their spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann took a combined 37 wickets.

Considering the fact that spin is going to be the ultimate weapon to plague the Indian batsmen in their own conditions, the Australian selectors have announced five spinners, including Glenn Maxwell for the four-match series. This is not the first time the Aussies have come up with the spin-heavy bowling attack in India.

In fact, in Australia’s previous tours to India in 2008 and 2013, the squads were heavily weighted towards spin and the spinners picked up wickets at the expense of leaking too many runs. One fine example was Jason Krejza, who made a stunning Test debut in Nagpur in 2008 by taking 12 wickets but leaked 358 runs. The most worrying fact is that Nathan Lyon, who is the experienced spinner in the current Australian squad, averaged close to 40 in the three Tests he played in 2013.

Since Shane Warne’s retirement in 2007 more than a dozen spinners turned out for Australia in the sub-continent but none of them has been really successful so far. It will be interesting to see whether Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe, who are expected to start in Pune, rewrite the bad history and capture the imagination of Australian fans.

#1 Will Warner and Smith replicate their heroics in India?

Both Warner and Smith have been in a red-hot form at the moment

There is no denying the fact that if Australia are to have any success in the four-match series against the World No.1 side then the duo of Warner and Smith have to carry their stellar form. Warner had one of his most sensational calendar years in 2016, garnering success both in ODI’s as well as in Tests. He amassed 748 runs from 11 Tests he featured in, including two centuries.

The left-hander has looked ominous with the bat in hand in the recent times but his record overseas doesn't make good reading for his fans. Warner has not scored a century in an overseas Test for more than two years now. Like most Australian batsmen, Warner had a miserable time in India last time, scoring just 195 runs at an average of 24.67.

On the other hand, Steve Smith has a much better record in Asia than David Warner. The Aussie captain smashed 582 runs in 7 matches at an average of 41.57.

Despite averaging more than 40, Smith had his own worries against the spinners in the subcontinent as he was dismissed 13 out of 14 times. In fact, he was outfoxed by Rangana Herath on five occasions during Australia’s 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka last year.

Although the two lynchpins of Australian batting have scored runs in the recent past, these facts clearly suggest that the duo are going to face a tough task against Virat Kohli’s men.