AFP Sport takes a look at three key battles that could decide the winner of a clash between the world’s top two cricket teams.
VIRAT KOHLI AGAINST PAT CUMMINS
Virat Kohli has triumphed from his long stretch of thinness last year and his clash with fast bowler Pat Cummins, the Australian skipper, could light up the series.
The batting maestro has hit four tons since breaking his 1,020-day drought in last year’s T20 Asia Cup but hasn’t been able to bring his clean-ball form to testing .
An exemplary leader, Cummins on the other hand has been in the best Test form of his career, claiming 29 wickets in nine Tests over the past 12 months.
Cummins has taken out Kohli five times in testing, but the hometown hero will be looking to fight back in his backyard.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Kohli against Cummins. It’s a fantastic game,” former Australian speedster Jason Gillespie said as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
“When Virat comes out at bat, I would love to see Cummins take the ball and attack him immediately. It will be great theatre, two wonderful cricketers at the top of their game.”
David Warner AGAINST MOHAMMED SIRAJ
Sparks should fly when David Warner, an explosive left-handed fly-half, takes on the seam and swing of rising star Mohammed Siraj.
Siraj, 28, knocked out Warner twice on his Australian debut in 2021 and went on to win 13 wickets in three matches.
He has since grown in stature to regularly lead India’s pace attack in the absence of injured Jasprit Bumrah and bagged 46 wickets in 15 Tests.
Warner struggled on Indian grounds, batting 24.25 in eight Tests in the cricket-mad land. His overall Test average is over 46 from 101 games.
Both men have something to prove in the upcoming series and Warner said last year that “winning in India is key”.
INDIAN SPINNERS VS AUSTRALIA
Indian spinners at home are a challenge for any visiting batsman, but for Australia’s in-form fly-half Usman Khawaja the task may well decide the fate of the series.
Islamabad-born Khawaja handled the rotation with aplomb in Pakistan last year and led the tourists to a 1-0 series win with his 496 runs, including two centuries in three Tests.
The 36-year-old southpaw recently picked up his 4,000th try in a game against South Africa in Sydney, where he was 195 steps out.
Khawaja is particularly wary of Ravichandran Ashwin, who has had great success against left-handed batsmen, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: “Ashwin is a gun.
“He’s very skilled, he’s got a lot of little tricky variations, he uses the crease quite well too.”
“But this is one of those really good challenges,” added Khawaja.
