The Australian cricket team is leaving no stone unturned in preparing for the upcoming four-match Test series with India. Instead of playing tour matches, the Australians have decided to train at Bengaluru before travelling to Nagpur for the first Test. They have avoided training at any of the venues hosting the four Tests and have gone to a training facility near Bengaluru.
The Australian team roped in a spinner who resembles India's Ravichandran Ashwin and has been brought in for a four-day training camp. The Karnataka cricket association has provided three pitches that will provide excessive spin from day one, mimicking what the Australians expect to face at the Nagpur venue.
"Three pitches in the middle of the main ground in Alur have been prepared by the local Karnataka cricket association, with each taking more turn as their first training day wore on. Assistant coach Daniel Vettori's left-arm spinning throwdowns were particularly volatile by mid-afternoon," reported cricket.com.au.
The Aussies have been practicing with the Ashwin look-alike, Maheesh Pithiya, and other spin bowlers to come to terms with the visual cues of the world's top-ranked Test spin bowler. The Australian batters, including Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head, batted for long sessions and were troubled by Pithiya.
The Aussies also faced Shashank Mehrotra, a left-arm spinner who plays first-class cricket for Hyderabad, and throw-down specialist Khaleel Shariff. Though they did not have a look-alike of Ravindra Jadeja, there was a bevvy of local left-arm orthodox bowlers brought in to help an Australian batting group to get ready for the Indian spinners
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FAQs - IND vs AUS
When will the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series start?
The India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series will start from February 9.
How many matches will be played in the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series?
A total of four matches will be played in the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series.
What are the venues for the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series?
Four Venues - Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be in use for the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test.
When will the ODI series between India vs Australia start?
The ODI series between India vs Australia will start on March 17 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
When will the Test matches start in the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy series?
All the matches in the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will start at 9:30 AM.
Which channel will broadcast the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series?
The India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series will be broadcasted on the Star Sports Network.
Which platform will live stream the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series?
The India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series will be live streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar App.
