Watching the India ‘A’ batters struggle against the Australia ‘A’ bowlers does fill one with a sense of foreboding of what’s to come in the five-match Test series that starts in less than a fortnight’s time. It wouldn’t have been the case if India had won the Test series against New Zealand. It’s not just the loss, but the lack of form of the batters that is the worry. 

Clueless against spin

To be fair, the Indians did score over 400 in the second innings in Bangalore, but after that, in four innings they looked utterly clueless against a spin attack that by no stretch of imagination was so dangerous that India couldn’t chase 150 in the fourth innings. Yes, there was turn on offer, but again the pitches were not impossible to play on.