With less than two months to go for the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former Australia captain Ian Chappell has suggested Travis Head to not open in during the high-voltage series. Writing in his column Chappell suggested that Test cricket will be a different proposition for Head who has thrived for the Aussies in the last 24 months. Australia are set to play India in a five-match Test series starting November 22 with vital World Test Championship (WTC) points up for grabs.
Chappell suggests Head not to open
“Head opening in Test cricket is based on his unbridled success facing the new ball in both 50-over and T20 cricket. There’s no doubt Head, with his ultra-aggressive style, is the ideal player to open in the two short forms of the game. However, Test cricket is an entirely different proposition,” Chappell wrote in his column on ESPNCricinfo.
“Any move to open with Head that is designed to unsettle Jasprit Bumrah is asking a lot of the batter. Bumrah, and to a lesser extent Mohammad Siraj, are unlikely to be battered into altering their attacking mentality,” said Chappell.
Australia will enter the BGT as favourites under Pat Cummins’ captaincy but have not won the prestigious series since 2014-15. Since then India have beaten the Aussies twice on home turf and twice away. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were the last two skippers to help India get over the line as they search for an unlikely hat-trick of BGT away wins.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India tour of Australia) Schedule
1st Test: 22nd November to 26th November, Perth
2nd Test: 6th December to 10th December, Adelaide
3rd Test: 14th December to 18th December, Brisbane
4th Test: 26th December to 30th December, Melbourne
5th Test: 3rd January to 7th January, Sydney
