Changes Australia need to make to get back to winning ways

The ongoing Test series between India and Australia has once again proved why it’s considered to be one of the fiercest rivalries in the game of cricket. Where the visitors surprised one and all after emerging victorious in the first game at Pune on a surface tailor-made for the home side, India bounced back ever so strong in the second game to level the series midway.

With two more Tests to go, all the three results are possible and it will be interesting to see who clinches the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this time. Australia were in command in the second Test as well when they had gained a sizeable lead of 87 runs in the first innings. But a wonderful partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane brought India back in the game and their bowlers did the rest to enforce a historic win.

Australia have a lot to think and a gap of 8 days before the start of the third Test at Ranchi will help them analyze what they need to do differently to make a comeback in the series.

Here are the possible changes that they need to make to get back to winning ways:

#1 Warner needs to play his natural game

The reason for Australia’s dominance in Test cricket off late has been the explosive starts provided by Warner. The vice-captain of the side usually does not discriminate much amongst the different formats of the game and his approach remains more or less the same. He goes after the bowling from the outset that enables the team to score generally at over 4 runs an over.

But the left-hander has been playing well within himself on this tour so far. His strike rate is 56 which is well below his career strike rate of 78.23. He needs to start in the fourth gear right from the start and needs to try and throw the bowlers off their lengths. In conditions like these, there is bound to be a delivery every now and then that might take his wicket, so he needs to maximize the number of runs for his stay at the crease and put pressure on the Indian bowlers.