Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist made a bold prediction about the winner of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in India, starting with the first test on February 9 in Nagpur.
Notably, Australia hasn’t won a Test series in India since the Kangaroos recorded a series win under the stand-in skipper Gilchrist in 2004.
Since Australia is hoping to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15, Gilchrist said that he has a gut feeling that captain Pat Cummins and his team will create history on their upcoming tour of India next month.
Australia had defeated India with a bowling attack comprising three pacers and a specialist spinner in 2004; the legendary wicketkeeper suggested Cummins do the same in the upcoming Test series.
Adam Gilchrist told Fox Sports: “What we tried to change with our mentality back then – and I’d be interested to see if the Australians do it this time – is don’t go searching and just rolling spinners out there. Attack the stumps right from ball one. Swallow your pride a bit, be defensive to be aggressive.”
The legendary keeper continued, “Start with one slip, start with a catching mid-wicket, put fielders out on the boundary to nullify the boundary option, but keep a couple of catchers in place – either at short cover or short mid-wicket – and just be patient.”
Meanwhile, Gilchrist feels if the current Australian team would follow their 2004 tour’s strategy of playing three fast bowlers and one spinner in Nathan Lyon, they could beat Team India in India.
He said, “I think they’ll do it (win the series). I really do. I think they’ve got a squad and final XI that will have a lot of similarities to the team we rolled with in 2004. So often teams go to India hoping to unveil some new spinner that’s going to come in and adapt and bedazzle in India — it doesn’t really happen.”
Gilchrist signed off by saying, “Pick your best four bowlers, run with them — and if that is three seamers who can all get really nice reserve swing and Nathan Lyon, who’s outstanding and clearly the best off-spinner we’ve ever had, can play his role — that’s my gut feeling. You do that, you go with it.”
