India face a tall order

Brisbane, November 19 

India have the quality and confidence in their batting ranks to master the extra pace and bounce on Australian wickets and excel across formats, Rohit Sharma said on Monday. India have never won a Test series Down Under but fancy their chances against an Australian team yet to recover from a ball-tampering scandal that led to bans for former captain Steve Smith, opener David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft.

“This is one place we want to leave our mark on and do well as a unit,” Rohit told reporters in Brisbane, where the three-match T20I series kicks off on Wednesday. “We want to make it count this time around. There is a really good feeling in the group across all three formats. When you do well in places like Australia, you feel good as a team. Thinking about the World Cup ahead, it can only give you confidence.” 

Gabba, which Rohit considers to be Australia's fastest surface, is not hosting any Test but Perth, known for assisting the quicks, is the venue for the second Test, while Melbourne and Sydney will host the last two Tests.

“India have always played either at Perth or Brisbane,” Rohit said. “This time around we are playing at Perth and not Brisbane. Last time we played at Brisbane but not Perth. These two venues are very challenging, especially considering Australia have tall bowlers who extract bounce and use it to their advantage. Indian batsmen generally are not that tall. It's not that easy for us.

“But all the guys are determined to change things around this time. It will be a challenge but we are ready to accept the challenge,” he said.

Rohit has scored heavily in the limited-overs matches in Australia and his strong backfoot play earned him a place in India's Test squad after being dropped following modest returns in South Africa earlier this year. The elegant right-hander said the extra bounce would suit his batting as he seeks to cement his place in the Test squad. “The good bounce allows me to play my game because I have grown up playing on cement pitches back home,” Rohit added. “I have done well in limited overs, but the challenge obviously is red ball cricket, which right now I am not thinking of, just want to do well in the T20 format and take it from there.” — Reuters