Australia vs India: Five talking points including Kohli, Smith, Bumrah, Lyon and World Test Championship scenarios

It might sound obvious when we say that India have scored more runs than Australia in the past two series, but that really was one of the key differences.

In the 2018-19 series, India’s average first-innings score of 327 dwarfed Australia’s 253. That gap was reduced to 15 runs (288 to 273) in 2020-21.

India’s top six in 2018-19 averaged 37.5, compared to Australia’s 27, but the hosts squeezed that last time.

India’s middle order (five to eight) outscored Australia comfortably in both series (34 to 24.9 in 2018-19 and 33.4 to 26 two years later).

However, there are concerns about India’s batting after their series against New Zealand.

They only made two scores of 250 or more in that series, and were bowled out for 46, 156 and 121 across the three matches.

Rishabh Pant, who has been crucial in their previous wins over Australia, is in form and averaged 43.50 in that series, but captain Rohit Sharma averaged just 15.16 and Virat Kohli 15.5.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (31.66), Shubman Gill (36) and Sarfaraz Khan (28.5) also struggled, as only Pant made more than one half-century in the series.

Kohli and Rohit only average 22.72 and 29.4 in Tests in 2024 and it is hard to see India winning if those numbers don’t rise.

Rohit will miss the first Test for the birth of his second child so India will have to find a new partner for Jaiswal at the top of the order. Bowler Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in Rohit’s absence.