Brad Haddin,the former Australian wicket-keeper said that India’s best chance of winning a Test was in Adelaide and he doesn’t think they can turn the series around.
Brad Haddin said India will face several selection headaches and dilemmas before the second Test against Australia begin at Melbourne. He said Adelaide was India’s best chance of getting a win and start series on a positive winning note as star players like homebound Virat Kohli and injured pacer Mohammed Shami will be absent for last 3 Tests.
Brad Haddin Don’t Think India Will Recover From The Loss At Adelaide
Brad Haddin reckoned the opening day/night Test was India’s best chance to start well and win the ongoing series as it will be very difficult for the visitors to script a turnaround from hereon after a demoralizing eight-wicket loss in Adelaide as Australia have won all 8 of their pink-ball Tests.
India were bundled out after registering their lowest-ever Test score of 36 in the second innings as Australia were handed initiative as they claimed an eight-wicket win despite conceding first innings lead in the pink-ball Test to take a 1-0 lead in the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
“I don’t think they will (recover from the loss),” Haddin told SEN Radio.
The 43-year-old, who featured in 66 Tests for Australia, feels the conditions at the Adelaide Oval were conducive and suited the Indian bowling attack as they will play at Brisbane where Australia have got great winning results. Brad Haddin felt Melbourne and Sydney’s Tests are India’s best chances as the two wickets will suit India.
“I thought their only opportunity to win a Test match was the first Test at Adelaide. I thought the conditions suited their bowling and I thought they’d get enough runs. But I don’t think they’ll be able to turn it around. You’ve got one Test up at Brisbane where no one beats Australia. These next two wickets will be suited to Indian cricket, but I don’t think they’ll be able to turn it around,” Brad Haddin added.
India created history by registering their maiden series win Down Under in 2018-19 on the back of a lethal pace-bowling attack consisting of pacers Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah.
Brad Haddin Thinks Indian Batting Collapse As Concerning
However, the visitors are without the experienced Ishant Sharma and now Mohammed Shami, who suffered a fracture after being hit on the elbow by a Pat Cummins short ball during India’s second innings on Saturday.
“They had a great bowling attack the last time they come out here, and now with Shami out with a broken arm they don’t have enough depth to cover that,” Brad Haddin maintained.
Reflecting on the Indian batting collapse Haddin said, “I think it’s really concerning.”
“Yes India were driving the game and we were talking at the start of day three about how Australia would get back into it, but the collapse they had has to leave some marks.”
With skipper Virat Kohli returning home for the birth of his child, India are faced with selection dilemmas.
“There were a few performances from the Indian batsmen that will come under scrutiny over the next week. Do they go in with (Wriddhiman) Saha? Who goes to the top order for Prithvi Shaw? Rohit Sharma comes out of quarantine, does he come back into the side?They have a lot of things they’re going to have to tackle over this next week leading into this next Test,” Haddin added.
India will take on Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting December 26. India will make probably 5 changes bring in Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj and Rishabh Pant in the side for the 2nd Test.