Former Australian cricket captain Ian Chappell has issued a warning to the Australian batting unit ahead of their highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India. Chappell has advised the team to be proactive against India’s star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and to keep rotating strikes and pacing their innings. Ashwin has been a dominant force for India in the Test format at home, taking 290 wickets in 48 matches since 2012, with a bowling average of 21.03 and six ten-wicket hauls.
Chappell emphasized the need for the Australian batsmen to dictate terms and be proactive, saying, “You got to be thinking about being proactive. If you are not dictating terms, then you are in trouble. You have to get singles and rotate the strike. He (Ashwin) then has to change (his strategy against) whom he is bowling to then.” He also spoke about the use of Ashton Agar as a second spinner, stating, “If Agar is not among your two best spinners, then don’t pick him. Bowlers are there to pick wickets. It is up to the batters to get runs.”
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a four-match Test series, is set to start on February 9 in Nagpur, with subsequent matches to be held in Delhi, Dharamshala, and Ahmedabad. The series will be crucial for both teams as they vie for a place in the World Test Championship final. The Test series will be followed by a three-match ODI series starting on March 17.
