TOPIC:

Looks like mission impossible this one. Beating India on spin friendly wickets. The ultimate challenge for any cricket team. England who are comparable to Australia as a test team lost 4-0 there a few months back and on the surface the same fate appears to be awaiting the Aussies.

Apparently the pitch in Pune is breaking up already and the match hasn't even started . Agar is in line to play as the third spinner!

There are some things that are going for Australia in this series

• Good preparation for a couple of weeks in Dubai
• Reverse swing by Starc
• Seem to have a better team spirit than other tours
• underdog status
]

The cons though are more substantial

• How are we going to get Kohli out?
• Aussie batting vulnerable, over reliant on Smith
• Indias spinners are a class above anything Australia have
• Doctored wickets

In reality if we could even win or draw a test it would be seen as a major victory

I'm hoping Agar is being hidden early in the tour because he's the most likely as a total package , blind freddy can see that given the hiding Lyon & O'Keefe got in that warm up game
Maxwell is a shock weapon if you intended bowling him a bit
At some point to win anything you have to come & fight fire with fire - there is no way India would go into their shell , and we know either Jadeja or Ashwin will be bowling by the first drinks

Late Edit: I'd go with Shaun Marsh first up & if they wanted more all round options - get Handscombe behind the stumps & pick Maxwell

Southerner, good point you make, cricket selectors being the conservative type they are will stick with Lyon and O'Keefe. India will be laughing.

Really the Aussies need to play Agar and Swepson, they are kids, they are not haunted by past failures, and they are likely to be the front line spinners next time we tour there, why not get them some benefit now.

What happens if they play the three spinners and Lyon and O'Keefe get tonked out of the park, they are expecting 36 every day of the match, that's a lot of work that falls onto the rest of the bowlers

India will play 3 quicks & 2 spinners so that's the peg
(of course they have a couple of batsmen who are handy spinners)

With maybe the exception of a couple none of our batsmen play spin well so - if it isn't 3 spinners then they'll have to look at batsmen who can either adapt quick or have a bloody quick eye & the ability to change the match

Mitch Marsh...bats at 6 for Aust with a first class average of 29.50...good grief!

Middle order has been found out for what it is - poor

Great start fallen right away again - Lyon & O'Keefe will get smashed now

At a bare minimum, an australian top 6 batsman should have a first class average above 40.

For goodness sake, even most of the Netherlands national side can boast a first class avaerage above 29.50

La Hincha wrote: Mitch Marsh...bats at 6 for Aust with a first class average of 29.50...good grief!

I'm stunned Mitch Marsh is back playing test cricket.
In India!

Those damn biased eastern state selectors chosing both Marshes in front of usman khawaja..... ohh hold on!!

UNKA2 wrote: Those damn biased eastern state selectors chosing both Marshes in front of usman khawaja..... ohh hold on!!

Unka2 you obviously haven't watched Sky News sports commentators and Lawson's comments about that.