IND vs AUS: India's upcoming tour of Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy is shaping up to be a fierce contest, with sources suggesting that Australia is preparing extremely challenging pitches, full of pace and bounce, to counter India's strengths.

Starting the series in Perth, known for its fast and bouncy surface, signals Australia's intent to put India on the back foot from the start.

Sources indicate that Australia, still smarting from recent losses to India in 2018 and 2021, are looking to use green-top wickets as a tactical move to ensure the series doesn't slip away this time. This approach mirrors what India has historically done on home soil, especially in the subcontinent, where they've employed turning tracks to unsettle visiting teams like Australia.

However, after the Indore Test debacle last year, where India lost on a spinning track, the team's over-reliance on such pitches was questioned, as the Indian batters were seen struggling on pitches that seam and spin.

Australia is now seemingly adopting the same strategy but in reverse, thus taking advantage of conditions that play to their strengths as the reigning World Test Champions.

Former Indian cricketers like AN Sharma, Virender Sehwag's coach, have pointed out that Australia has used similar tactics before, and it wouldn't be a surprise if green-top pitches greet India throughout the series.

Sharma's recollections of Australia's grass-heavy pitches during past tours reinforce the idea that the Indians will face some of the most challenging conditions in recent memory. Australia's desire to reclaim dominance at home, especially after India's back-to-back series wins on Australian soil, makes this a crucial series.

"I have seen it in the past. My daughter used to be in Melbourne and I was one of the first to reach the ground in one of the Test marches and was shocked to see the kind of grass the pitches had there. I couldn't make out which is the outfield and which is the pitch," Sharma told myKhel while recollecting his days when he was in Australia watching India play the series Down Under.

Australia Preparing Tough Pitches For India Tests

The battle between India's experienced batters and Australia's pace attack on these fiery surfaces will likely define the contest. The five-match Test series will be played from November 22, 2024 to January 7, 2025.

So, there won't be any moment in the series when the Australian bowler won't try to bounce India out of the Test matches and to bounce the ball well, the hosts would need fast and hard wickets, which the Aussies are quite capable of producing.

The upcoming five-match series will undoubtedly revolve around the battle between India's seasoned batters and Australia's formidable pace attack on fast, bouncy wickets.

Australia is preparing hard and fast tracks, aiming to unsettle India's batting lineup with a relentless barrage of short-pitched bowling. The Australian bowlers are expected to constantly exploit the bounce and pace to keep the Indian batters under pressure throughout the series.

Sterner Test Awaits India Batters Down Under

Clearly, the goal is to bounce India out of the matches, using their deep-pace arsenal, which includes the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, backed by some newer talents.

India's experienced batters like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be tasked with weathering the storm on these surfaces, while younger players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will face a stern test of their technique and temperament.

The challenge will be particularly daunting in these hostile conditions, as Australia will not offer any respite. For India to stay competitive, their batsmen will need to adapt quickly, and their own pace attack, featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj, will need to rise to the occasion on these bouncy surfaces. The ability to counterattack and bowl out Australia on such wickets will be key to India's hopes of winning a historic series Down Under for the third time!