1st Test Preview - Australia v India

3 minute read

After a long gap between Tests, the Australian Test Cricket team ventures out into the open fields against one of their biggest opponents.

Check out the Racing And Sports Preview for the Indian Tests this summer with a few betting ideas at the end.

AUSTRALIA v INDIA

1st Test

22 – 26 November 2024 @ Perth Stadium

It might be a long way to Tipperary but with such a lengthy time - March 2024 - since Australia last took to the Test Match field of play, they've almost forgotten how to take that journey.

Rarely in the last 40 years of extensive international programs, has a side as prevalent as Australia not taken to the Test arena this far apart.

But now in the days of ever burgeoning short form tournaments, designed to feather the nests of domestic jurisdictions, this could become the norm.

The result of which has a very large warning sign on the future of the Test format. You can smell future tours, which would traditionally have been 3 or 5 Tests, 3 ODIs and then a couple of T-20s, flipping to be the polar opposite.

And with the inactivity, comes both a lack of continuity and also an inability to quickly refresh and blood a new guard – so desperately needed.

The great focus of that rejuvenation would and should be seen at the opening position. With David Warner gone since Sydney at the start of the year, the great experiment began.

Could Steve Smith end his all-star career by becoming a fully-fledged opener? His returns have been 12, 11*, 6, 91*, 31, 0, 11 & 9. That is hard to fathom but easy to interrogate.

It's not that his bells and whistles technique (always a fascination in its extravagance and fluidity) was an issue. 'Twas just that it didn't come off. But it has been since the famous Lord's Test of 2023, and all the madness that came with that, for him to land three figures.

So given he's moving back down the order as his career is in its twilight, that top spot remains for someone to become the shining light.

Whether it be a Marsh, Elliott or Taylor crease occupying type or the exuberance of Slater, Warner or Finch, would someone stand up? The evolution of the current game says tora, tora, tora.

However the pre-Test deliberations had all sorts of names at the helm. Back to Harris or Bancroft? A renewal with McSweeney or Konstas? One is a risk in its negativity and lack of forethought. The other in its peril of technical naivety.

In the end the selectors took what they would say is a calculated gamble by going with the young opener from Brisbane/Adelaide. Who knows what McSweeney will bring but at least it's interesting. It certainly isn't the devil you know.

Compare that to the bowling. December 2014 was the first time at least three of the omnipresent Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon played together.

Since that occasion, Australia has played 96 Tests and 30 times ALL FOUR represented. In another 48 we saw three head out and only 18 Tests had less than that, be it for selection, form or injury.

To date it has not harmed Australia with their consistency and reliance. But will that stunt the growth of the likes of Richardson, Neser, Boland and others? Every chance it has already done that.

Of course, this Indian series has lost Cameron Green from the talent pool and the variety his pace bowling offers. How will the home side play this for the whole five matches?

There is a great desire to beat India for the first time in forever. But also there must be a horizon focus too with the Ashes 12 months on. At some time, new faces are a MUST.

While the hosts have questions, the guests come off an almost unimaginable series obliteration by the Kiwis.

New Zealand deserved every bit of credit conceivable for winning all three Tests on foreign soil and very foreign conditions. They not only out-batted India, they out-bowled and in particular out-spun them.

That is hard to believe possible but Patel and Santner along with Phillips completely dominated Jadeja, Ashwin and Sundar. Maybe that didn't show up in the stats but it sure did on the field.

So with their very mature spin bowling arsenal waning, surely that doesn't bode well coming to Australia? They've complemented Bumrah, Siraj, Shami etc in recent highly successful tours. But now they might need even more and on flatter, less spin responsive decks, that is no place to be offering straight breaks.

Having raised that, it was the elite big name batting heroes who waxed and waned against a focused and courageous Kiwi side.

In 12 innings, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could only secure an aggregate of 184 runs with one 50 each. Historically, if you knew those pair of Indian greats would average 15 each, you'd walk away sniggering in delight.

That said, expecting that that is a formality to continue is a mistake. You have to go for the jugular as their class is permanent.

What will be required though, if India is to succeed, is for the younger players to step up again. Yashasvi Jaiswal could not have done more in the England series back at the start of the year. 712 runs in 9 innings facing just 891 balls was incredible. However he came off a little bit against those pesky Kiwis.

Sarfaraz Khan was then feisty in his six tests since February but how will he enjoy the ball bouncing above waist height with regularity? Maybe they will be invigorated by Rishabh Pant who can take a game by the throat with his sheer enthusiasm.

These two sides, with question marks around the place, head to Perth. Sadly for the purists, it's not the WACA but the locals are 4 from 4 on some fairly banal surfaces at the new ground.

The one match that did have some interest in it was from the 2018 tour (sans Warner, Bancroft or Smith for obvious reasons) where most scores were in that 230/330 range – often the most competitive games of all.

Both batting line ups are vulnerable. Both bowling line ups compelling at their finest. The big question is will they still be, given age could well weary them as the years condemn?

Without a great deal of confidence, tipping the Australian quicks to hit enough edges with the added bounce but Bumrah and Siraj could do the same.

Travis Head is the big danger to India given opening gambits might be shared by both attacks. His First Innings runs at this ground are 58, 56, 99 and 40. You can bet he'll be throwing his hands at the line of the ball and scything cherries over backward point with predictability.

Expecting Rishabh Pant to do something similar. He loves the pace of the ball in Australia and, in 12 innings down under, has never scored short of 23, averaging over 60.

Let's hope these two sides haven't forgotten how to play strong, combative and exciting Test Cricket. Boy, the sport could use that without the need to go over the top as one certain side attempts. We have no desire for 'Baz' to turn up.