'Have to bowl bouncers': Former opener calls for Indian Head tactic tweak as Sharma makes big toss call

India have won the toss and will bowl first in the must-win third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series – giving them the opportunity to instantly address their most pressing issue out of their loss in Adelaide.

Have to bowl bouncers': Former opener calls for Indian Head tactic tweak as Sharma makes big toss call

Travis Head’s masterful run-a-ball 140 was the crucial performance in bowler-friendly conditions in the city of churches, leading Australia to a ten-wicket win and handing India a demolishing equal to his performances in the 2023 World Cup and World Test Championship finals.

India’s tendency to cop bruisings from Head in recent history prompted former Indian opener turned commentator Aakash Chopra to call for the team’s fast bowlers to initiate a bouncer barrage to bring down the South Australian star.

“You have to bowl bouncers on Head’s head,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“Until we do that, he doesn’t get out and keeps troubling us.

“He has done that earlier and is doing it now also. He did that in the World Cup final and the WTC final as well.”

Making things potentially easier for India is Head’s nightmare recent record at the Gabba.

Remarkably, he has been dismissed with four consecutive balls in Tests at the venue – he was knocked over for a king pair in January’s loss to the West Indies, while in December 2022 he was dismissed for a golden duck in the second innings, though the first was a brilliant 92 out of a score of 218.

After winning the toss, Sharma pointed to ideal-seeming bowling conditions, with cloudy skies and the expectation of a pitch that will offer plenty to the bowlers.

“Little bit overcast – there’s a bit of grass and it [the pitch] looks a little soft as well,” Sharma said.

“We want to try and make best use of the conditions, and try to see what we can do with the ball up front.”

The tourists made two changes to their Adelaide XI, with Ravindra Jadeja replacing Ravichandran Ashwin while quick Akash Deep returns at the expense of Harshit Rana.

Sharma himself will remain in the middle order despite two poor scores in Adelaide, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul backed in at the top of the order.

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'Have to bowl bouncers': Former opener calls for Indian Head tactic tweak as Sharma makes big toss call

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