Watson believes India must rotate its fast bowlers effectively to conquer Australia in the upcoming series.
Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson has shared key insights ahead of India’s tour of Australia for the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. According to Watson, India’s fast bowlers will play a crucial role in the five-match Test series, but the secret to victory lies in managing their workload. The series is set to begin on November 22, with the first Test in Perth.
Rotation of Fast Bowlers Will Be Key
Watson emphasized that India’s pace attack has the ability to win the series, but their bowlers will need proper rotation to stay sharp throughout all five Tests. India has successfully defeated Australia in their last two tours, but the challenge this time, according to Watson, will be maintaining the energy and effectiveness of their fast bowlers over a long series.
“India’s fast bowling is sharp, but in five back-to-back Test matches, proper rotation will be the key to sustaining that edge,” Watson said. He also pointed out that while India’s spin duo, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, are effective, they may not get as much assistance from Australian pitches as they do in other parts of the world.
India’s Batting Depth Remains Strong
Despite the absence of Cheteshwar Pujara, who was pivotal in India’s previous series wins in Australia, Watson believes that India’s current batting lineup has the depth to challenge Australia. He singled out Yashasvi Jaiswal as a promising player who can score quickly and put pressure on Australia’s bowlers.
“When you talk about Pujara, it’s hard to imagine him making mistakes, but India has top-order batsmen like Jaiswal who can score runs fast without errors. This kind of aggression will be crucial in Australia,” Watson explained.
Australia Must Bring Their Best
Watson made it clear that Australia will need to be at their best to beat India, stating that India has a team capable of putting Australia under immense pressure on their home turf. He reminded everyone of India’s successful performances in their last two tours to Australia, which will give the visitors confidence heading into this series.
“India has a team that can challenge Australia at home. They played brilliantly the last time they were here, and they’ll be drawing confidence from that,” Watson concluded.
