'Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli will need to bat exceptionally well' - Former Australia coach John Buchanan on India's winning chances down under

Former coach John Buchanan recently shed light on Team India's chances of a probable hattrick of Test series victory in Australia's backyard. Notably, the visitors remained unbeaten in the last two tours Down Under.

As per the high-profile Australian coach, the Indian side's chances will depend on how the duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will fare against the Aussies in the upcoming tour. He believes that if the two legendary batters bat for a long time and show incredible resistance against a quality bowling lineup, they may lead the side to a historic triple series win. Notably, India are scheduled to tour Australia later this year with the first Test starting at the iconic WACA in Perth, on November 22.

Perth is known for being one of the paciest and bounciest tracks in the world hence the Australians will be licking their lips to torment the Indian batters right from the start of the series. Furthermore, Buchanan feels that the intensity will continue from where both the teams left it the last time as both sides have some experienced players. It is worth noting that Buchanan had a sublime run with Australia during the 2000s era in all the formats of the game.

"Australia, since losing to India in the last series, has a pace bowling attack supported by Nathan Lyon and either Cameron Green or Mitch Marsh. This forms a very powerful bowling lineup. India's top order, with players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and possibly Shreyas Iyer, will need to bat exceptionally well to set competitive totals. Only then can their bowlers, such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj, capitalize," Buchanan said during the launch of a multi-sport program at CP Goenka International School.

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Players like Pujara and Rahane are unlikely to be part of touring squad: Buchanan

Besides, John Buchanan also discussed the psychological aspects of the game. He opined that even though it may seem that Team India hold an edge over Australia given their series winning streak, it will not hold relevance in the upcoming tour. Adding further, the legendary coach pointed out the exemplary roles of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's batting which were the highlights of India's remarkable victory.

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"The past series wins were significant, but players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, who were central to those victories, are unlikely to be part of the touring squad this time. The current players from both sides are at stages in their careers where they all want to perform. So, those past games don't hold as much sway anymore," Buchanan concluded.

Notably, Pujara dug in and made the Australian bowlers toil way harder than they had expected during the 2018-19 Test series. The magnitude of his herculean effort can be understood by the fact that he faced 1,258 balls in the series. On the next tour, Pujara again stood tall and batted out 928 balls en route to India's historic win.