Considering the ruthlessness by which India marauded England in the recent Test series, Steven Smith’s Australia has indeed plenty to ponder about. The Kangaroos have a shameful record in the sub-continent as they were whitewashed on their previous three tours against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India. With India seeming to be unstoppable, the chances of Australia doing well this time around seem highly unrealistic.
Former Australia skipper and outspoken commentator Ian Chappell has urged the Kangaroos to not look out for all-rounders and rather focus more towards selecting specialists. England recently opted for all-rounders but ended up under utilizing at least a bowler in each game of the series. Chappell hopes Australia doesn’t repeat the same mistake.
“India has just sent England packing with their tail between their legs and that humiliation should be a warning to Australia; pick specialists rather than players who do a bit of each,” wrote Chappell in his column for Mid Day. “England regularly selected three specialist batsmen and a slew of all-rounders of varying standard. It’s asking for trouble to man the crucial number four spot with your main spinner and a player who, in other regions, bats at number eight.
“Picking the best six batsmen is a good start and if they can’t fathom Indian conditions then the tour is destined to be a lost cause. The choice of an all-rounder for India is a far cry from what’s required in Australia, as the batsmen who bowl (Steve Smith and David Warner) are both part-time spinners who can offer a few overs of variety and relief,” Chappell further wrote.
The former skipper went on to praise India’s batting strength and mentioned. “Of late it doesn’t seem to matter what combination India utilizes, it’s the right one. India has a seemingly endless production line of prolific young batsmen and huge totals plus the guile of spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, have proved to be an irresistible combination.”