India look to Australia for elusive overseas Test series win
Having lost their two previous away Test series in 2018, India will be heading to Australia in November with the hope of ending the year on a high. A 2-1 defeat in South Africa and a 4-1 defeat in England earlier this year are disappointments for a side with India's ambition. While home advantage is often a decisive factor, the best Test teams have enough quality and belief to overcome such an advantage. The Test series in Australia will comprise of four matches across December and January, following a short T20 series in November.
The decision for India to play a home series against Windies as their last competitive action before heading to Australia has been met with scepticism in many quarters. Gautam Gambhir is among those who have suggested an ODI series with Windies followed by a greater period of acclimatisation in Australia would have been more beneficial for India. A look at the score of the first Test against Windies indicates that Gambhir's argument is not without justification. India won the first Test by a substantial margin, strolling to victory by an innings and 272 runs. This became India's biggest margin of victory in Test competition; while that is something to savour, it is also an indictment of Windies' current weakness in the longer form of international cricket.
Yet India are indeed blessed with great quality and depth, which is why claiming that win in Australia is all the more crucial if this side is to be remembered as one of the nation's most successful. India remain the dominant Test team in the world, while they are behind England by a narrow margin in the ODI rankings. The latest cricket odds from bet365 indicate that India are joint-favourites with England to win the World Cup 2019, but India will begin the tournament believing that only the trophy will do. England's hosting of the tournament will be an influential factor, which is why it is vital for India to prove that they can travel well by performing strongly in Australia later this year.
The biggest positive from the Windies series will be that players have been given the chance to play themselves into form, albeit in very different conditions and atmospheres from those waiting in Australia. Virat Kohli delivered the kind of innings that has become a habit for the batsman, reaching 139 in a confident display. Kohli's brilliance is now expected, but what was more heartening was Prithvi Shaw's performance in his maiden Test innings.
Prithvi Shaw celebrates his century. Source: Indian Cricket Team via Facebook.
134 off 154 balls is the dream start to a Test career, inevitably provoking comparisons between Shaw and legends like Sachin Tendulkar. Those comparisons are not particularly useful or appropriate at such an early stage, but such a performance from an 18 year-old batsman was always going to excite cricket fans. It will be vital that the pressure on Shaw is managed carefully. India will need a reliable opening partnership if they are to withstand the new ball from Australia's seamers, but the early signs from Shaw are extremely promising.
Australia may not be the formidable force of years gone by, but the Test rankings barely separate them from South Africa and England. India's recent trips to the latter countries ended in disappointment, but Kohli will be hoping that the lessons learnt from those defeats will guide future success. While their record in Australia of 1-17 Test wins in their last 24 matches is hugely poor, India have the talent to deliver that elusive series win to end 2018.
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