‘India will win. But I hope Australia make it hard for them’

Why is it so hard for the touring teams to win a Test series in India?
It is not simply cricket that can win you a series in India. India drains you. Though some of the Australian players now spend substantial time in India every year for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other things, it is still very hard. If on day 4 or 5 of the Test match India are still in the contest, I would back them to win each time. It’s because they know how to do so in their conditions. The weather, the conditions on offer, the noise, all take a toll on you. For Australia to win, they have to bowl, bat and field well in each session of the Test match for all five days and needless to say it isn’t easy. And when you have four Test matches in a month in conditions that are never easy, it is near impossible for any team to keep the same intensity and more so for the touring team.

As was the case in Nagpur, the real battle is Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne versus Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Australia got multiple off spinners to their nets to train for Ashwin. But we all know how good Ashwin is and how well he prepares. First Test is the testimony. Your thoughts on Ashwin.

It is a very important contest. In many ways, the defining contest. Every batsman knows where a bowler is likely to bowl and what is the danger area.

Someone like Ashwin will look to bowl in these areas all the time. It’s on Smith and Marnus to stop him from doing so. They have to negate him from getting into his rhythm, stop him from hitting the right areas, bowl in the danger zone. If they are able to push him off that line and score runs off him, they can help set up the game for Australia. But again, Ashwin is a very good bowler like we just saw and we have seen him do well for years now in these conditions. And it is not just Ashwin. It is also the close-in fielders. The pressure they exert. You don’t deal with only Ashwin. You need to deal with these closein fielders as well. The close-in cordon complements Ashwin and Jadeja.

Virat Kohli couldn’t score big in the first Test but he is a very impactful player. Your thoughts on his importance he is in the context of the series?

Virat is one of the best players in the world. And the best players always want to do well in the important series. He always wants to win against Australia and has played some of his best innings against Australia. He considers Australia as his biggest challenge and always pushes himself to deliver his best against Australia. His form will have a major impact on this series. If Virat scores big runs, Australia will find it very hard to win even a single Test.With so much on the line, a place in the World Test Championship final, for example, it is very important for Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma as well. I don’t think Rahul or Rohit are thinking about the World Test Championship. They must be thinking about each ball. Each hour, each session, each day. They know how to do that and that’s what makes India so successful in India. I don’t think they are bothered about pressure or what is being said on the outside. The focus must be on winning the series.

In a high-pressure series like this what really makes the difference in the end?
Ultimately, it is about a batsman’s ability to score runs. For eventually every batsman would tire and make a mistake and get out. If you don’t score for a while, you build pressure on yourself and make mistakes. So you need to believe in your own ability. I remember speaking to Brian Lara and asking him what helped him make some really big scores in his career. Brian said he could attack a bowler when he sensed the bowler was not at his best and could score quick runs before he would again take some rest mentally and settle down. It is this ability to score quick runs and take control of the game before giving your mind some rest that sets good players apart from the rest. That’s what what makes a difference. India have two quality spinners and they will not let Australia score easy runs. That’s where they will exert pressure and Australia will find it hard to come out of it.

What’s your prediction for the series?
India will win because they are playing at home (and already 1-0 up). But I hope Australia make it hard for them. Really hard. They need to compete. Fight.