IND VS AUS

Dharamsala track will make Indian team nervous: Johnson

johnson-fire [File photo] The former Australian fast bowler feels that India has been overconfident in the current series

'O'Keefe may have to make way for Jackson Bird in seamer-friendly conditions'

Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson feels that Indian team will be "nervous" considering the pacer-friendly conditions of Dharamsala where Steve Smith and his boys should feel more confident.

"Dharamsala is an amazing ground and the only times I have seen it are with grass on (the pitch). So, I think, that's why the Australians will probably be confident and India will be a little bit nervous. I think they've been overconfident in this series and I think the scoreline shows that," said Johnson.

The Aussie pace bowling great feels that Pune Test hero Steve O'Keefe may have to make way for Jackson Bird in seamer-friendly conditions when the fourth Test gets underway from Saturday.

"I think we're going to lose a spinner out of this Test match," he said.

"The spinners have been great throughout the series. There's been a lot of pressure on the spinners to go out there and perform and I think they've had some good patches and some bad patches. But that's the game. It's a tough one because they have both had their moments in this series, but I think you have got to go with experience. I think Nathan Lyon will get a lot more bounce and he has been turning the ball quite nicely. But then again, you've got to look at left- and right-hand combinations," Johnson said.

Johnson feels that Bird will be more suitable for Dharamsala track.

"If it's more of an Australian kind of wicket, I think you'll see Nathan Lyon bowl and Bird come in as the third quick.

Johnson, a veteran of 73 Tests is happy that Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh saved the game for Australia providing them with psychological advantage.

"(The result in Ranchi) gives Australia a huge advantage, I think. For them (India) to know that it's not about Steve Smith and David Warner, other guys in the team can perform and can play out for a draw. They dug in and played exceptional cricket. They (Australia) will be pumped after that. Even though it was only a draw, to them it will feel very good and very positive. Because they have collapsed a lot in the past. That's why I'm confident Australia will win," he said. 

This browser settings will not support to add bookmarks programmatically. Please press Ctrl+D or change settings to bookmark this page.

Related Reading