AUS vs IND: 3 Australian players who could pose a threat to India
India’s upcoming tour of Australia promises to be an exciting contest. It is a full-fledged international series, involving all formats, and both teams will be raring to go. Both India and Australia possess some world-class players. From India’s point of view, they will be up against the usual suspects like Steve Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins etc. Despite having to face these accomplished Australian players, there are a few selections that might give an additional headache to India.
Here are 3 Australian players who could spring an unexpected surprise for the Indian team:
Marnus Labuschagne
India aren’t going to face the Marnus they did in 2018, where the young man scored 38 in the only innings he played. They are going to be up against the most improved player in the last 18 months, a player who is currently third on the lCC Men’s Test Rankings for batsmen. A young lad who is already being compared to the mighty Smith.
Since 2019, Marnus has played 19 Tests, scoring 1369 runs at an average of 72.1 with seven 50s and four tons. He has shown unbelievable growth as a player and slots in perfectly at number three in Tests. He too is unorthodox but is super-effective like Smith. Labuschagne is coming off two tons in five innings in the Sheffield Shield, which is bound to give him confidence. While he doesn’t pose the same threat in ODIs just yet, Marnus already has two 50s and one 100 in nine innings. India will be wary of Marnus because he has the ability to play long and impactful innings.
Will Pucovski
Touted as one of the future superstars, Will Pucovski has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the Sheffield Shield year after year. In 22 matches since 2017, Will has scored 1720 runs at an outstanding average of 55.5 along with six 50s and five centuries. But it is his recent form that would give India plenty of reasons to worry about.
In two games this season, Pucovski has scored as many as 495 runs, with two consecutive double tons and is the highest run-getter despite playing only three innings. With all the shots in the book, the 22-year-old is a dangerous proposition for opponents. While it is unlikely that he will start in the first Test, he is bound to come in at some point and is expected to give Australia a massive boost. A top-four with Warner, Pucovski, Marnus and Smith could be dreadful for India.
Cameron Green
According to Australian legend Greg Chappell, Cameron Green is the best young batsman he has seen since Ricky Ponting. Now that is perhaps the highest praise a player can get in Australia. And it is not without reason. The 21-year all-rounder has been doing exceedingly well, playing crucial knocks for his domestic team.
He too has had a dream 2020 season, scoring 363 runs in four games at an average of 72.60 with two 50s and a stunning 197 against the mighty New South Wales. He has been picked in the limited-overs as well as the Test squad. While he may not get an opportunity in ODIs and T20Is, Green could be an important cog in the wheel for Australia in Tests. The fact that he bowls right-arm medium pace will give additional meat to Australia’s line-up. He has the power game as well as the defensive strokes and could be an unexpected obstacle in India’s way.
