Team India have started Mission Australia with a bang. A mammoth 280-run victory over Bangladesh have kick-started their Test swing, which will reach a crescendo in early January. Playing on an unfamiliar Chennai pitch that assisted pacers more than spinners in the first three days and offered more bounce than expected proved to be a good test of the Indian top orders and brought the pacers to the forefront.
Initially, it felt like we were preparing for Perth instead of playing the match in Chennai. India were reduced to 144/6 as Bangladesh pacers, who’d shocked Pakistan earlier in the month with their movement, pace and accuracy, troubled the batters. The surface wasn’t exactly how they’ll be in Australia, but they were much closer to them compared to traditional spin-friendly Indian pitches.
The rescue job by two of India’s greatest-ever players, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, not only saved the hosts but also gave them a massive head start. Ashwin scored his 6th Test century, but Jadeja unfortunately fell 14 runs short of his 5th hundred. The 376-run total proved to be too much for Bangladesh, who succumbed for just 149.
From there on, it was a cakewalk for India. Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill stroked impressive tons. Ashwin and Jadeja finished the match by claiming 9 of the 10 wickets in the fourth innings, showing that the red-soil wicket on the fourth day was helping the spinners big time.
Chennai Pitch = Perfect
We might see something in Australia as well, with pacers dominating the play on the first three days and spinners coming into the game in the last two days. The Chennai pitch was a perfect blend. Australian pitches are bouncy, pacy, flat and spin-friendly. They remain bouncy throughout, but as the game goes on, they flatter and assist spinners. From this point of view, the surface in Chennai was perfect for India’s preparation for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Team India’s Test schedule until WTC Final 2025
| Series | No. of Tests | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh tour of India | 2 | September 19 to October 1 |
| New Zealand tour of India | 3 | October 16 to November 5 |
| India tour of Australia | 5 | November 22 to January 7 |
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