Former Australia cricket team wicket-keeper batter Brad Haddin believes that Indian batters will have not be able to stand up to the Australian fast bowlers. During a recent interaction, Haddin pointed out that Indian batters, irrespective of their stature, may struggle to score runs due to their weakness against bouncers. He even namedropped talented youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal and said that although he has been scoring runs, the left-hander may struggle in the first Test match starting November 22.
“I don’t think that the Indian batters are going to stand up to our quicks. I know Jaiswal is a really good player, but he hasn’t come out and seen Australia before, so I’m not sure whether he is going to handle the bounce. Opening in Perth is hard work,” Haddin said on the LiSTNR Sport podcast.
Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch, who was there in the podcast with Haddin, believed that Australia’s top order will struggle equally against Indian fast bowlers. Finch also said that the wicketkeepers – Rishabh Pant and Alex Carey – can change the course of the series.
“I think the key could be Alex Carey and Rishabh Pant, the two wicketkeepers are going to be so important. At one time or the other in the series, the top order will get knocked over. Both fast-bowling attacks are so good that they will get on a roll and knock over the top order. So for me it’s that really crucial role of Alex at No. 7 and Rishabh at 6 likely. Carey is aggressive, Rishabh is aggressive. The game is going to go one or two ways really quick. And I think that will be so important,” said Finch.
“Maybe it’s the second new ball, where you are 5 down and it’s coming just before stumps. And they take it for 50 in those 10 overs. It just changes the whole momentum of the game. I think it’s so important that No. 7 has an impact on the game because in my opinion, both fast-bowling attacks cancel each other out. Nathan, Ashwin, Jadeja… perhaps Nathan with just that advantage playing in Australia. Both batting line-ups haven’t been at their best for a little while and that’s why the keepers are so important,” he added.
