Australia Studying Footage Of Massive Threat Axar Patel Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Nagpur: India is set to take on Australia in a four-match test series at home, starting February 9 in Nagpur. The series will be an asset test for the Pat Cummins-led side who have not won a Test series against India in India since 2004. More so, they have also lost their last two Test series against India in Australia as well.

For India, the series is very important as a win will take them to their second consecutive World Test Championship final. India's strength to home dominance has been their spinners who have been a nightmare for the visiting teams. The likes of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav have been phenomenal at home but in recent times, Axar Patel has been doing wonders for team India at home as well.

As per reports in Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian team is keenly watching the footage of Axar Patel as they feel that the left arm spinner can be a massive threat to them in the series.

Meanwhile, Australia have decided not to play a practice game ahead of the series. The reason given by the Australian players is that they get contrasting pitches in the practice games to the ones they play the Test matches and thus they are better off having a few net sessions.

"The last time we went I'm pretty sure we got served up a green-top (to practice on) and it was sort of irrelevant. We're better off having our own nets and getting spinners in and bowling as much as they can. We'll wait and see when we hit the ground. I think we've made the right decision to not play a tour match," Smith told the Sydney Morning Herald.