Reverse swing is going to play a huge part in India: Clarke

Australia have always been slightly underwhelming in Asian conditions but back in 2017, they showed first-hand that they have the tools to defeat India in India. Since then, the Kangaroos have even registered a famous series win in Pakistan, showing that they have improved leaps and bounds against spin away from home. 

But former Australian skipper Michael Clarke insists that reverse swing will play a huge role during the four-match Test series, more than it had in the entire home season. Clarke also reckoned that most of the batters might have to start their innings against spin. 

"You need a completely different plan to what you have playing in Australia, the way you start your innings against spin bowling, the way you play reverse swing, through the Australian summer we didn’t see any reverse swing, the games were over in two, three days,” Clarke said. 

"So reverse swing is going to play a big part (in India), all these batters that walk out and play bowlers bowling 130-140ks – there’s every chance India is going to play at least two spinners, so it’s a completely different game", he further added.

Alongside that, the right-hander also questioned about Australia’s decision to not play tour games before the big series.

"The no tour game before the first Test in India. I hope I’m proven wrong but I think that is going to be significant. Batting in those conditions in one-day cricket and T20 cricket is one thing, batting in Indian conditions in Test cricket it is a completely different game.

Something that Clarke knows first-hand is that Australia will have to make use of the good batting conditions in the first innings if they stand a chance of winning the series against India. 

"If you get in you need to go on and make a big score because your first 20 runs in India in second innings, whoa, a ball that you go forward to and block in Australia easily against spin, over there can roll along the ground, can bounce and take your glove. You can go to block it outside off and it bowls you leg stump, natural variation over there is massive", he said.