Skip to main content

'It's become harder & harder for visiting teams to go to India'

Image Courtesy: BCCI

Australia will struggle on their tour of India where they will play four Tests against the world's top-ranked side in spin-friendly conditions, former captain Ricky Ponting has predicted.

IND vs AUS - Complete Schedule

Steve Smith's men will travel to India next month having been beaten 4-0 four years ago.

They were also whitewashed 3-0 in Sri Lanka last August in similar conditions prompting Ponting to issue a grim outlook for the team.

"I think they'll struggle," the 42-year-old, who played 168 Tests for Australia told Sky Sports Radio. "Every team that goes there struggles.

"It's become harder and harder for visiting teams to go to India. They probably make wickets to suit them more than ever before."

The last time India lost a Test at home was against England at the end of 2012 and Virat Kohli's side have won their last five series to climb to the top of the Test rankings.

South Africa, New Zealand and England have all lost series in India in the last 15 months and Australia's last success in the country was in 2004 when they won a four-Test series 2-1.

"I went there for a lot of tours and we obviously played in some tough conditions," added Ponting. "But the wickets were good for the first couple of days of the game and then they started to turn.

"But now, even looking at what happened in Sri Lanka, whenever the Australian team tours anywhere on the subcontinent you can guarantee the wicket is going to turn, and turn quite a bit, from day one of the game."

Following the 3-0 drubbing in Sri Lanka, Australia's Test team plunged into a crisis with successive home defeats to South Africa. After a national outcry forced wholesale changes, they recovered by winning the final Test against South Africa in Adelaide before beating Pakistan 3-0.

"The challenges are going to be there for the Aussie team," Ponting said. "Unlike what happened in Sri Lanka, as long as they can find a way to be competitive in the test series.

"It's a real learning curve for our guys now to find a balance between playing the Australian way but (also) adapting that to Indian conditions."

The first Test starts in Pune on Feb. 23 and is followed by matches in Bangalore, Ranchi and Dharamsala.

Stay updated on the go with Sify Live Scores App. Click here to download it for your device



via Sify.com http://ift.tt/2kA0Dmz
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India withdraw Smith protest as boards make peace in DRS row

India have withdrawn an official protest about the actions of Australia captain Steve Smith in the second test as the governing bodies of both countries moved to bring an end to the acrimony surrounding the ongoing four-match series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier registered a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over Smith looking to the dressing room for guidance on whether to review an lbw decision during the Bengaluru match. Despite the hosts winning the test to level the series at 1-1 on Tuesday, India skipper Virat Kohli alleged the tourists had indulged in the practice throughout the match, sparking a war of words in the media and a robust response from Australia. The boards released a joint statement on Friday saying the chief executives of both bodies had met in Mumbai on Thursday and agreed to try and bring the focus "back to the game" ahead of next week's third test in Ranchi. "India has always cherished a c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pogba is one of best players when in form: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Leeds [UK], Dec 7 (ANI): Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised midfielder Paul Pogba, saying that he is one of the best players in the world when he is in good touch. "Paul is going to play when he gets his fitness. He is one of the best players in the world when he's in form and we just need to give him time to be 100 per cent fit," Goal.com quoted Solskjaer as saying. Pogba has endured a frustrating 2019-20 campaign to date, having only managed five Premier League appearances in total due to a string of fitness issues. He is currently recovering from an ankle injury and last played for the club on September 30 against Arsenal. Solskjaer had said that the France international will be out of action till December. "It might be 45 minutes in the first game, it might be half an hour, it might be 90. It depends on what game he comes back in and I'm looking back to get Paul back to where I had him about a year ago," Solskjaer said. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Virat Kohli and co. leave for West Indies

The Virat Kohli led Indian team left for the West Indies for the four-Test series starting July 21st. The team was accompanied by its newly appointed head coach Anil Kumble and other support staff. The 16-member squad will play a tour game against the West Indies Cricket Board President's XI at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts on July 9 and 10. The journey begins. #TeamIndia leaves for the tour of West Indies. #WIvIND http://pic.twitter.com/ebK1jkoFiN -BCCI (@BCCI) July 5, 2016 That will be followed by a three-day warm-up fixture at the same venue from July 14 to 16. The first Test match will be held at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua from July 21 to 25. The other three Test matches will be held at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica (Jul 30-Aug 3), Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia (Aug 9-13) and Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad (Aug 18-22). When India last toured West Indies in 2011, the visitors won the series 1-0....
Post a Comment
Read more