Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels Rishabh Pant's absence from the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy will make Pat Cummins-led Aussie side happy.
Pant has been ruled out of action for at least most of this year after a horrific car accident on December 30 followed by multiple surgeries. In the absence of Pant, Srikart Bharat and Ishan Kishan have been included in the 17-member Test squad but Chappell feels that the effect he had on Australians is unmatched.
"India are really going to really miss Rishabh Pant. The Australians will be happy. He is a counter attacker, the guy who keep you awake are guys who score quickly and changes game in one session. Pant was one such player," Chappell said during an interaction organised by Star Sports.
Chappell believes that veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be a threat not just because of the turning tracks but because he is a smart cricketer.
"Why is Ashwin likely to be the threat? Because he is a smart cricketer. Ashwin will always be a problem. Now, if you let him bowl the way he wants to bowl, you are in trouble. He will be a threat to Australia throughout. They have got to be proactive," Chappell said.
"You got to be thinking about being proactive. If you are not dictating terms, then you are in trouble. You have to get singles and rotate the strike. He (Ashwin) then has to change (his strategy against) whom he is bowling to then."
The 79-year-old had a few suggestions for Australia’s most successful bowler in Border-Gavaskar history, Nathan Lyon. Also, what happens if Indian batters negate the Lyon threat.
"You judge Lyon by how many runs are right handers scoring against him on the on-side. If there are lot of singles, doubles, fours being scored on on side by right handers, then he is bowling too straight.
"One thing that Lyon could try and do better is to curve the ball away from right handers. Really good off-spinners curve the ball away from right handers and that opens up opportunities for batters to hit on the off side. And then when you turn it back in, you get the chance to get bowled, bat-pad, leg before," he further explained.
"For India, it is important that they don't let Lyon dominate them. If Lyon dominates, it becomes easy for Pat Cummins to rotate his fast bowlers and he doesn’t have to bowl both speedsters from both ends."
While Ashton Agar is in Australia’s Test squad as the second spinner, Chappell believes that Australia should avoid the temptation to include him for Nagpur Test.
"Australia should not get carried away by left and right combination. India have got one in Ashwin and Jadeja who are both very good bowlers. Agar is a guy, who averages 40. If he is picked for few runs down the order, there would be a temptation to play him as Cameron Green can't bowl. But that theory is rubbish," said Chappell.
"If Agar is not among your two best spinners, then don't pick him. Bowlers are there to pick wickets. It is up to batters to get runs."
India are not the only side marred by injuries. Australia’s frontline bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood will also miss the first Test of the four-Test series.
He wanted Lance Morris to get game time before the series. Also, he wants Cummins to have a chat with the bowlers and bypass medical staff's recommendations as it is an important series.
"It depends on whom Cummins is listening to. Do the bowlers want to play in a Test? Medical men are always conservative and will always say 'give this guy rest as this can happen or that can happen'.
"If I was the captain, I will ask Josh and Mitch 'can you get through five days?' If they say we can't do, then we have to look at best available option. Lance Morris has got pace. They didn't pick him in Adelaide, so if they didn't pick him in Adelaide where there was bounce, why the hell will they pick him in Nagpur," he concluded.
