Kohli, Pant, Gill cautioned they 'will be tested by Australian quicks' as mind games commence: 'Jaiswal is talented but…'

As the countdown to the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy reaches just 10 days, former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has kicked off some mind games by suggesting that Indian batters may struggle against the Australian pace attack. Speaking on the LiSTNR Sport podcast, Haddin, alongside guest Aaron Finch, emphasized the potential challenges faced by both teams' top orders due to the formidable bowling attacks of India and Australia. Haddin singled out India's batting lineup in particular, expressing doubts about their ability to handle the pressure, especially in the upcoming Test match in Perth.

The Indian top order features a who's who of batting superstars. Even if Rohit Sharma is not available for the series opener, the top six will feature Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and one of KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin to follow. But Haddin has outrightly ruled the possibility of any of them being able to score runs against Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, let alone thrive. Jaiswal shows promise given the bumper year he's enjoyed, but even the 22-year-old will be tested, considering it's his first Test tour of Australia, reckons Haddin.

"I don't think that the Indian batters are going to stand up to our quicks. I know Jaiswal is a really good player, but he hasn't come out and seen Australia before, so I'm not sure whether he is going to handle the bounce. Opening in Perth is hard work," Haddin said.

Finch's take slightly differed from Haddin's, in which he claimed that Australia's top order would struggle equally against the Indian pacers. With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ashwin, Jadeja and Akash Deep in their ranks, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh won't find it easy despite playing on home conditions. Hence, Finch feels it's the wicketkeepers – Alex Carey and Rishabh Pant – who hold the power to change the tide of the series.

"I think the key could be Alex Carey and Rishabh Pant, the two wicketkeepers are going to be so important. At one time or the other in the series, the top order will get knocked over. Both fast-bowling attacks are so good that they will get on a roll and knock over the top order. So for me it's that really crucial role of Alex at No. 7 and Rishabh at 6 likely. Carey is aggressive, Rishabh is aggressive. The game is going to go one or two ways really quick. And I think that will be so important," said Finch.

"Maybe it's the second new ball, where you are 5 down and it's coming just before stumps. And they take it for 50 in those 10 overs. It just changes the whole momentum of the game. I think it's so important that No. 7 has an impact on the game because in my opinion, both fast-bowling attacks cancel each other out. Nathan, Ashwin, Jadeja… perhaps Nathan with just that advantage playing in Australia. Both batting line-ups haven't been at their best for a little while and that's why the keepers are so important."