When they arrived in India in 2001, ‘final frontier’ was a term used to dub the pursuit of Steve Waugh’s 21st-century ‘Invincibles’ to land a first Test series win for an Australian side on Indian soil since 1969. It would be a stretch to address Virat Kohli and team’s endeavour Down Under as a ‘final frontier’ – this still remains, potentially, the first half of the current, world number one ranked Indian crop’s existence. Besides, it’s not as if winning in Australia will complete a ‘set’ – India do remain without a Test series win in South Africa, too.
But the Indian touring party, at Adelaide, took the first steps towards correcting a blank slate of seven decades. Another win at Perth, and India will be guaranteed at least a share of the prize – and the retention of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – just two games into the four-Test duel.
The Line-ups
Australia’s biggest concern from the final day at Adelaide – aside from losing the opening game of a home series against India for the first time – was a blow to captain Tim Paine’s right index finger. But three days ahead of the match, coach Justin Langer said he was “100 percent ready to go”.
There could be a temptation to bring all-rounder Mitchell Marsh in to provide cover to three pacers who worked tirelessly in the opener, but Australia have opted to remain unchanged at Perth. That provides Marcus Harris, playing his second Test, a chance to bat in the city that was his original ‘home’ – the 26-year-old opener plied his trade at Western Australia for five years, before signing for Victoria for better prospects in 2016.
If India thought they would stick with a winning combination, a mini injury crisis has shaken that plan. Prithvi Shaw is yet to recover from his ankle injury, and Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin have joined him on the sidelines with back and side troubles respectively. Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav have been included in a 13-man roster for Perth, which also features Adelaide 12th man Hanuma Vihari.
Vihari should be a straight swap for Sharma, but the replacement for Ashwin could hinge on the surface: Do India go like-for-like and draft Jadeja into the XI, or do they go for a fourth fast bowler?
Australia (likely): Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c & wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.
India (expected): KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja/Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
Scene of Play
Perth Stadium is set to become the 10th venue to host a Test match in Australia. Wait, what? Isn’t this Perth, the Perth, the venue of horror for all coming batsmen, as it has been for decades? No – on two counts.
First, that Perth playground, the WACA Stadium is no longer the primary international ground for the city. Second, that WACA strip had lost some of its minefield streak in recent times. Two of the three highest-ever totals at the venue came in the last three games hosted by it. The last three Tests at the WACA witnessed four scores of 540 and above.
But this ‘new’ Perth is expected to be going back for the future. Pace, bounce and movement are likely to be on offer from day one to five – Perth of the past may be reborn.
Weather wise, Perth should be less sapping on both outfits than Adelaide. The mercury is set to hit a maximum of 36 degree Celsius on the first day – Friday, 14 December – but the maximum forecast for the rest of the Test reads between 25 and 29 degrees. Day 3, Sunday, is the only day with a looming rain threat, with scattered showers predicted and a 50% chance of precipitation.
The Past
Four Tests at the WACA yielded just the one win for India, along with three defeats. Australia, perhaps surprisingly, haven’t bombarded India with regular trips to the pacers’ paradise over their visits.
The solitary Indian victory is one still vivid in the memory of most followers of sport in the country – in the aftermath of Sydneygate/Monkeygate 2008, with ties between the nations threatening to combust altogether, an Anil Kumble-led India got the better of a four-pronged Australian pace attack for a 72-run win.
India’s last Test at Perth, during the horror 4-0 whitewash of 2011/12, resulted in an innings defeat.
The hosts boast a quite formidable record at the old WACA stadium – 25 wins in 44 Tests, with only six defeats. The last three matches though, in the last three years, had a perfect split of results: A drawn run-fest against New Zealand, a 177-run loss to South Africa and an innings and 41 run over England last year.
The Present
About as good as it ever has been for an Indian Test side Down Under. Victory at Adelaide was the first instance of an Indian team winning the first Test of a series in Australia – at the 12th time of asking.
India have held a series lead in Australia before; in 2003/04, another famous Adelaide win had put the visitors 1-0 up after two Tests, before Australia levelled the contest at Melbourne and a draw at Sydney denied a maiden series win in the country.
Individual Radar
If Perth does indeed return to its pacy glory, Australia will hope the Mitchell Starc of old returns along with it. The leader of the Australian attack has 12 wickets in six Tests since returning match figures of 9/109 in a series-opening win in South Africa at Durban in March. Things started going south for Australian cricket shortly after that victory; Starc needs to get his trajectory back upwards or risk facing the axe, if former selector Mark Waugh is to be believed.
India’s pace battery has had no such shortcomings. Nine away Tests this year have seen India claim 167 out of a maximum available 170 wickets – down, in large parts, to their potent fast-bowling arsenal, described by bowling coach Bharat Arun as the best the country has ever had. They will lick their lips at the prospect of a juicy Perth strip, but hope the batsmen in the XI turn up alongside them.
A key member of the batting unit, Ajinkya Rahane, has gone 23 innings without a Test hundred, and is within two games of a century-less calendar year. But when he does get among the runs, it tends to augur well for his team, evidenced by contributions at Johannesburg, Trent Bridge and Adelaide – sites of India’s three wins on the road in 2018.
Captain-Speak
Tim Paine: There's only been a few games played here so it's a bit of an unknown, it looks a little bit green but feels pretty firm underneath and I think it'll actually play pretty well for the first couple of days. But I'm no expert and I could be completely wrong.
Virat Kohli: We certainly get more excited than nervous looking at lively pitches now. We understand that we do have a bowling attack which can bowl the opposition out as much as they are convinced about their attack.
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