Adam Gilchrist believes Australia will break a 19-year drought in March by reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar trophy on Indian soil — but has warned selectors of falling into a common trap.
Gilchrist was in 2004 Australia’s stand-in captain for the nation’s only Test series win in India since 1969.
It was an iconic triumph that, despite taking place in India, was built around what Australia knew best, rather than gambles on unproven spinners and adventurous gameplans.
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Australia’s attack featured three specialist quicks — Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz — who partnered Shane Warne.
There was a heavy reliance on the four bowlers with part-time tweakers Michael Clarke, Darren Lehmann, and Simon Katich only combining for 14 overs across the first three Tests, after which Australia had already won the series.
In 2001, Australia won the first Test in India in a similar fashion, with a pace attack of McGrath, Gillespie, Damien Fleming and Warne doing the job.
Speaking on Fox Cricket on Monday night, Gilchrist stressed the importance of being patient in the four-Test series, instead of hastily searching for answers out of left-field.
Reflecting on the landmark 2004 victory, he said: “What we tried to change with our mentality back then – and I’d be interested to see if the Australians do it this time – is don’t go searching and just rolling spinners out there.
“Attack the stumps right from ball one. Swallow your pride a bit, be defensive to be aggressive…
“Start with one slip, start with a catching mid-wicket, put fielders out on the boundary to nullify the boundary option, but keep a couple of catchers in place – either at short cover or short mid-wicket – and just be patient.”
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What Australia’s XI will look like in India serves as arguably the most intriguing subplot in the build-up to the blockbuster series.
Selectors named three spinners in addition to Nathan Lyon, with Todd Murphy, Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson all touring.
The trio have a combined nine Tests of experience, although none of those belong to Murphy, who some see as the favourite to partner Lyon for the first match in Nagpur.
The 22-year-old off-spinner shot himself into the Test frame by taking 3-27 for the PM’s XI against the West Indies, and claiming 14 wickets at 17.71 from three Sheffield Shield games this season.
Working against him, however, is that leg-spinner Swepson and left-arm orthodox Agar spin the ball in the opposite direction to Lyon, giving the bowling attack a point of difference.
Agar is a particularly intriguing option given the overwhelming success of left-arm orthodox spinners in India in recent times.
In the past three years, four of the five-most prolific Test wicket-takers in India have been left-arm orthodox spinners: Axar Patel (39 at 12.43), Jack Leach (18 at 28.72), Ajaz Patel (17 at 22.05) and Ravindra Jadeja (15 at 16.46).
It’s also worth noting that Steve O’Keefe was Australia’s best bowler on its last trip to India in 2017, taking 19 wickets at 23.26.
Nonetheless, Agar isn’t among Australia’s four best bowlers, and earlier this month struggled in his first Test appearance in more than five years.
Gilchrist said he believes Australia can shock India by winning the series — and could do so with three seamers partnering Lyon instead of two.
“I think they’ll do it (win the series). I really do,” Gilchrist said. “I think they’ve got a squad and final XI that will have a lot of similarities to the team we rolled with in 2004.
“So often teams go to India hoping to unveil some new spinner that’s going to come in and adapt and bedazzle in India — it doesn’t really happen.
“Pick your best four bowlers, run with them — and if that is three seamers who can all get really nice reserve swing and Nathan Lyon, who’s outstanding and clearly the best off-spinner we’ve ever had, can play his role — that’s my gut feeling. You do that, you go with it.”
Gilchrist added that the return of fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green — who is racing to be fit for the first Test — could still afford selectors the luxury of picking an extra spinner.
Should selectors take that route, it means there would only be room to pick one of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood or Scott Boland — all high quality seamers who could have an impact in India.
The alternative option would be to stick with three quicks and offer more overs to part-timers Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head — the latter took 4-10 from 2.5 overs against Sri Lanka last year.
Australia has been riding high since Pat Cummins took over as Test captain, going undefeated through five series, while losing just one of the past 15 matches.
Nonetheless, the ultimate test of this team’s strength will be touring India, where Australia has lost four-consecutive series.
The last was in 2017, when Australia let a 1-0 lead slip with losses in Bengaluru and Dharamsala. The first loss came despite an 87-run first innings lead — Australia crumbled for 112 in a chase of 188 on day four.
Part of that tour was the recently recalled Matt Renshaw, who told Fox Cricket that Australia is returning in February stronger.
“It should be a good tour. We went there five ears ago and got very close to beating them in their own conditions,” he told Fox Cricket.
“Hopefully the group’s a bit stronger plus there’s guys who’ve done really well over there in the past.
“It’s nice to feel like we’ll go over there and do well.”
AUSTRALIAN SQUAD FOR BORDER-GAVASKAR SERIES IN INDIA
Pat Cummins (captain), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matt Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitch Swepson, David Warner
AUSTRALIAN TOUR OF INDIA DATES (All starting 3pm AEDT)
First Test: Nagpur, February 9 to 13
Second Test: Delhi, February 17 to 21
Third Test: Dharamsala, March 1 to 5
Fourth Test: Ahmedabad, March 9 to 13
