Brendon Julian believes Australia need to throw conventional wisdom out the window and open the batting with Travis Head in a bid to end their 19 year drought on Indian soil.
Not since Adam Gilchrist helped inspire Australia to a 2-1 series win in 2004, has Australia been victorious in Test cricket in Indian conditions.
Australia’s XI is cemented on home soil after they won four of five Test matches with one draw for the second summer in a row under Pat Cummins, but the challenges in India means there could be changes to the team.
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The spin friendly conditions in India means that Australia may need to play two spinners, while they also need a batting order that can contend with India’s superior spin bowling attack.
Head has been dominant on home soil since coming into the Australian Test team, but his record away from home and particularly in the subcontinent has failed to come close to his output in Australia.
Julian believes Australia should consider opening the batting with Head to give him the chance to score freely against India’s pace attack and get himself in before the spinners come on.
“I think the big question will be the batting order, I think that’s going to change,” Julian said On Fox Sports News.
“I think the batting order can change where I think Travis Head could be seen as opening the batting and Khawaja could bat No.3 and everyone slides down because the way that Travis Head bats is a real good option for Pat Cummins up the top of the order.
“We don’t have to be conventional in India. I think the way that he goes about it and the series that he has just had, he might be more effective up the order rather than coming in, in the middle order.”
Julian also believes that Matt Renshaw will come into the top six, if Cameron Green is not fit in time, which will have an effect on the bowling selections for the side.
“I think Renshaw has got to come in,” Julian said.
“So I think Renshaw will come in and I also think what will happen there is depending on the pitch, if I go Swepson and Lyon then I am going to go Pat Cummins in there as well and I am going to go Josh Hazlewood.
“That would be my option if it was going to be an out and out turning wicket.”
However, Julian believes Australia need their best wicket takers on the field depending on the conditions, after Ashton Agar went wicketless and failed to look threatening at the SCG after replacing Scott Boland in Sydney.
“If it is not turning and there is a bit of grass in it or the pace through the air is pretty good then that’s where Boland will come in for Swepson or Lance Morris will come in depending on how he bowls in the nets as well.
“I’m all for pace through the air. When you are talking obut bowlers, I think Boland could do the job over there as well.”
