India’s preparations at full steam, Oz keen to hit back

As Virat led brigade reached Australia for a test series, preparations to vanquish Kangaroos are on full throttle.

Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan is gearing up for the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia.

The left-handed Dhawan on Monday shared a video of his batting practice in the net session. The Southpaw can be seen hitting the balls right from the meat of the bat as prepares for an ‘important tour’. “Preparations in full swing for an important tour ahead,” Dhawan tweeted.

India and Australia are slated to square off against each other in three ODIs, three T20Is, and four Tests. The tour will commence with the three-match ODI series, slated to begin from 27 November.

Kohli will just be playing one Test against Australia, and then he will head back home after being granted paternity leave by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

During the 2018-19 series, India managed to record their first Test series win on Australian soil. Kohli-led side eventually won the series 2-1 and now they would be looking to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

The first Test between India and Australia will commence from December 17 at the Adelaide Oval and this match will be a day-night contest.

The four-match series will be a part of the World Test Championship (WTC). India and Australia are at the top two spots in the WTC standings.

The Indian cricket team is using innovative ways to counter the extra bounce and pace they are expected to face on Australian surfaces over the next two months.

In a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is seen hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racquet at batsman KL Rahul in the nets.

The top-order batsman, who led Kings XI Punjab and was the highest run-getter at the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), is seen playing the pull shots to deliveries directed at his body and evading or guiding those that are slightly outside the off-stump. Ashwin ensured that the ball did not bounce before reaching Rahul.

“How is that for innovation? Ravichandran Ashwin grabs tennis ball racquet while KL Rahul faces volleys with his cricket bat and ball,” BCCI tweeted along with a 39-second video.

Extra bounce and pace are going to be a challenge for the Indian batters in the forthcoming series after a 53-day long IPL season this month on slower wickets of the United Arab Emirates.

Practicing in the nets with tennis ball on Australian tour has been done previously by sub-continental teams to counter the bounce and pace Down Under.