How India can use the series against WI to prepare for Australia

6. Prepare testing tracks

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I don’t expect WI to provide much of a challenge if we offer typical Indian wickets where the spinners take the new ball and most of the games last for 3 innings. This will be counter productive. An easy win against WI on friendly tracks will help neither the batsmen nor the spinners prepare for the challenging situations they will face in Australia. It is imperative for the team management to ask the curators in Rajkot and Hyderabad to replicate the hard and bouncy wickets of Australia as much as possible.

India should be happy if the series against WI turns out to be hard fought instead of a situation where our spinners run through the opposition. It will also provide a chance for our spinners to test themselves on the wickets which are not conducive to spin bowling

I feel the defining factor for our team in Australia will be our batsmen’s ability to counter Nathan Lyon. Off spinners have done well against us for a while now. We have been in situations where we have tackled the front line fast bowlers well only to fall to Lyon in Australia or Moeen in England. Looking at the balance of the Indian side, the fragility of the Australian line-up with the Smith-Warner and the susceptibility of their fast bowlers towards injury, I feel this is the best ever opportunity for the Indian team to win their first test series in Australia. After having learnt a few lessons in SA, coming so close to victory in England, it is time for the Indian side to back itself and create history.