By Dr Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam

Cricket is a game of glories uncertainty, but if India is to win this Test Match their batsmen have to play much better than what they have done to date and there should be another bowler in their team who puts his hand up and be a good foil to Bumarah. Otherwise I cannot see India win this upcoming Test Match at the MCG even if they bat well in the upcoming Test Match in order to defeat Australia and take a two one lead in the current Test Match series as bowlers win matches and batsmen set up the opportunities for blowers to take wickets at regular intervals and win matches for their respective sides.

The batsmen of India have great weaknesses in foreign wickets apart from dust bowls in India where their hands are great and footwork against spin is of high quality in general.

Rahul is a very good back foot player so he is an asset to the team in Australian conditions in particular, but deliveries just short of a full length makes him vulnerable especially just outside his off stump where he has to make the judgment whether to play or leave the ball alone. So fourth stamp line, just short of a full length getting Raul to open up on the back foot and not wanting to play but forced him to play the delivery is the way to go against him.

Jaiswal is a promising young batsman who is a quality player in India but he play with very hard hands and this plus his weakness to play shorts in the air can bring his downfall easily especially in Australia. He also is an LBW candidate as he prefers to play straight deliveries through square leg and mid-wicket rather than straight down the ground. Playing forward he plays with hard hands. So any extra bounce can bring him undone in hard true wickets such as in Australia and South Africa.

Gill is very pleasing to the eye. He is like Mark Waugh or David Gower but like these two players before him plays some very lazy and casual strokes after reaching thirty or forty runs, which is a great disappointment for all cricket lovers who appreciate quality batting that is pleasing to the eye.  

Kohli is a sitting duck to the fourth stamp line both on the front and back foot most of the time. And if the Australian bowlers relentlessly peruse bowling a fourth stamp line to Kohli they will definitely have him out on most occasions.

Pant is an unorthodox player and can be most unpredictable. Nevertheless, he does not have a quality defense to keep quality pace at bay or spin when the ball is turning sharply past his bat. So the best thing is to stack up the off side and bowl good quality deliveries just outside his off stump and test his defense and judgment.  If a bowler fears his unorthodox approach then there is a definite problem because Pant never play text book MCC Manuel based cricket. He can never be taught to play in an orthodox way because that will take the unpredictability and his brilliance away straight away.    

Sharma does not move his feet that much when playing forward or back and if a blower in the Australian team can bowl just short of a full length and bring the ball slightly in with a quality in swinger  making Sharma to come forward he is definitely susceptible to be an LBW candidate for certain.

Jadaja is a blue couloir cricketer but has a weakness for the bumper and he is a compulsive hooker. So bowlers should consistently bowl bumpers at him when possible. Also when he bowls as he is not a big turner of the ball therefore the batsman should use their feet as much as possible to him and score runs and make him think as a bowler.

Apart from Bumarah the other Indian bowlers are like an average State team bowlers and at times when run ragged appear like club bowlers.

Among the Australian batsman Khawaja must retire. He keeps making the same mistake by opening up to the delivery as he has to play a back foot defensive stoke and he opens up and based on the angel the bowlers are delivering to him over the wicket it is easy pickings on most occasions for the bowlers to get him out. I do not think Khawaja is a quality opening batsman and now that his reflexes are also no more as he has aged, he needs to realize these facts and gracefully retire before being drooped by the selectors.

Smith yet has class but can be suspect to the in swinger  and being bowled or caught at leg slip or by the keeper as he moves a great deal to cover his off stump exposing his leg stump. But he is yet a class player and has yet something to give to Australian cricket in the future. 

Head is a match winner and I think even if teams bowl on the onside to him associated with bumpers he can respond as he has improved his on side play greatly.

Carey is a fine player and as long as he does not play fancy strokes will be a great asset to the team runs wise part from his keeping skills.

The Australian team will be much better off if Khawaja leaves and gives a young player his position as an opening batsman.

I think Australia if they play to their potential will easily beat India in the Boxing Day Forth Test Match as India lacks class and quality to Australia and are playing Kohli and Sharma who are past their best like Khawaja in relation to the Australian team. All these three players who are past their best should gracefully retire from Test Match cricket immediately.