"Since 2015, India had never conceded more than 400 runs in Australia before this series" - Aakash Chopra on visitors' bowling issues in BGT 2024-25

Aakash Chopra has noted that India's bowling hasn't been questioned enough in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. He pointed out that the visitors have conceded more than 400 runs twice in the series, which they hadn't done in their last two visits Down Under.

India are 1-2 down in the five-match series against Australia heading into the final Test starting in Sydney on Friday, January 3. The hosts posted 445 and 474-run totals in their first innings in the last two Tests in Brisbane and Melbourne, respectively.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the cricketer-turned-commentator noted that India's bowling hasn't been as penetrative as their last two tours of Australia.

"There is one thing that no one has spoken about thus far, and it's very interesting. Since 2015, India had never conceded more than 400 runs in Australia before this series, and they have done that twice in this series," he said.

Chopra highlighted that the visitors have been overreliant on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, to an extent, in the bowling department.

"Now think about it. All of us are talking about the batting failures. Of course, there is batting failure, but what about the bowling? In bowling, since Bumrah is doing very well, he is hiding everyone. To an extent, Siraj is hiding it a little more. He leaks a few runs but he has still picked up wickets," he observed.

Bumrah (30) and Siraj (16) are the only Indian bowlers to pick up more than five wickets in BGT 2024-25. Akash Deep (5), the visitors' third-highest wicket-taker, has been ruled out of the Sydney Test due to a stiff back.

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"You have conceded more than 400 runs twice against a batting lineup in which Mitchell Marsh is almost like a walking wicket" - Aakash Chopra

Mitchell Marsh has scored 73 runs at an average of 10.42 in seven innings in BGT 2024-25. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Indian bowling has been found wanting despite Mitchell Marsh and the Australian openers' struggles with the bat.

"You have conceded more than 400 runs twice against a batting lineup in which Mitchell Marsh is almost like a walking wicket. He hasn't scored runs. They had to drop Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja has scored runs only once," he said.

The former India opener added that while Marnus Labuschagne hasn't been at his best, Steve Smith has been allowed to regain his form.

"Marnus Labuschagne has scored runs only one-and-a-half times. We have brought Steve Smith back in form. The team's batting wasn't looking powerful at all. Only (Travis) Head used to destroy us always but we gave more than 400 runs twice, which he hadn't done in the last 10 years," Chopra observed.

Chopra questioned whether India are playing too many all-rounders because they are not batting well. While urging the visitors to focus a bit more on bowling, he acknowledged that he doesn't see too many changes in the department as Kuldeep Yadav, who could have played in Sydney, hasn't traveled with the team.