Australia vs India 2018-19: 5 players who can help India win the Test series

Before the start of the year, India had a good chance of winning a Test series in South Africa, England and Australia. But, all the current lot managed to do was to give a tough fight against South Africa and England at their own backyard.

While the scoreline (2-1 against South Africa and 4-1 against England) tell you a different story, the team played way better than what it suggests. They outplayed both the teams on numerous occasions and failed to seize the advantage during crucial junctures which led to their downfall.

With the Test series against Australia starting in a day's time, there cannot a better chance for Virat Kohli and his men to win India's first-ever Test series down under. The Aussies don't have two of the most dependable batsmen in their ranks and on the other hand, the Indian team has a lot of proven match-winners in their team who can help them go all the way in the summer.

Let us take a look at five players who can help India beat Australia in the upcoming four-match Test series.

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KL Rahul

KL Rahul

It was in this country where KL Rahul showed everyone what he is capable of when he made his debut four years ago as he scored a stroke-filled century in just his second Test against a good Aussie bowling unit. Since then, he has gone to cement his place in the Indian Test squad with some consistent performances and then suddenly, his form dipped and now, he is hanging on to his place in the Test side by a thread and a failure could see him sit out of the XI when Prithvi Shaw returns.

This is something that will be at the back of his mind when he comes out to bat and Rahul, who has a lot of potential to do well across all three formats, should not let the pressure get the better of him during the Test series. He is very crucial for India's chances and a good series with the bat for him means that India are off to a good start, something which will take the pressure off the middle-order. He was India's hero the last time both teams played each other as he scored consecutive fifties and gave India the upper hand on almost every single occasion he came out to bat.

Rahul has the temperament and the skill to do well in these conditions and if he manages to play his game freely without thinking about his place in the side, the Indian fans will witness the rise of Rahul over the next one month.

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane is one of the few Indian batsmen who has looked far from being confident with the bat of late. Even though he scored a couple of fifties in England and a fifty against West Indies at home, Rahane's role in the side will worry the team management.

Rahane, who has earned a reputation of being a brilliant overseas player, will look to come good for the team if they want to register their first Test series win on Australian soil. Rahane is a more experienced and a matured player than he was in the country four years ago and he will look to emulate his performances from 2014 and silence the critics in the best possible manner.

Rahane, batting at number 5, holds the key in the batting order and he will look to put India in a commanding position whenever he comes out to bat.

Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma

The most experienced member of this Indian team, Ishant Sharma, will be playing a Test series in Australia for the fourth time and this is exactly where he made a mark in international cricket in the 2007-08 series when he troubled Ricky Ponting at the WACA, Perth.

In his three previous trips, he has managed to take just 20 wickets in 10 Test matches and has an average record in the country. But, the 30-year-old lanky pacer has worked on his bowling and has been a completely different bowler in Tests over the last couple of years and this time, a lot has been expected from the spearhead of India's pace attack.

This year, he has taken 30 wickets in just eight Tests at an average of 21 and a strike-rate of 46.4 and if Ishant continues his good form, India will be the favourites to win their first Test series win down under.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah

Ever since making his Test debut for India, Jasprit Bumrah has gone on to establish himself as one of the main players in the side and is having his workload managed on a consistent basis. Bumrah is as important as someone like Virat Kohli in the team, which is evident from his record in the format which reads 28 wickets in six games at an average of 25.57 and a strike-rate of 52.6. He had a very good Test series in South Africa and England and he will look to continue his good work in Australi as well.

He has the ability to swing the new ball both the ways and has a deadly inswinger to the right-handers. He can also be used to clean up the Australian tail as he is easily the best white-ball pacer in the world and has a lot of tricks up his sleeve that can be useful to clean up the Aussie innings. A successful series for Bumrah will ensure that India will create history in Australia in a month's time.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Even before the Indian team landed in Australia, all eyes were on one man who is expected to set the series on fire. India captain Virat Kohli, who is the World's best batsman at the moment, has been the talk of the town in Australia as the fans and experts expect him to be the leading run scorer and some, have started to get under his skin and put him under pressure.

But, someone like Kohli, who has been dealing with these things over the last decade, will know how to remain calm and let his bat do the talking. In the last two overseas tours, he was the leading run-scorer for India as he scored 286 runs in South Africa and followed it up with 595 runs in England where none of the batsmen from either team looked comfortable with the bat.

The last time India toured Australia for a Test series, Kohli scored 692 runs in four matches and that wasn't enough for India to come out victorious. He will be determined to lead from the front, win the series for his team, something none of the other Indian captains has done in the past.