Let's not forget that this Australian team is just really good in their backyard. Most of this team is yet to have been tested. I'm diving into another discussion but I would like to emphasize a few points here. These Australian commentators have really glorified Steve Smith's batting accomplishments and it's getting quite annoying at least for me to hear about his form against India. Now I'm not saying that smith isn't good but his runs have all came in non subcontinent conditions and mostly against a pathetic Indian bowling line up. So I really don't understand the amount of praise he keeps getting from these Australian commentators. To be honest it seems as if people think he's better than someone like kohli( which makes no sense).Some praise is alright but after all he has yet to be tested and he will be tested when he comes to India next year. Also aus are really good with the bat because of their depth. They've got basically 11 players who can contribute with the bat whereas India pretty much has like 4. And if you ask me I'll say India has the best top order batting(better than Aus as well) however stupid bowling ruins their performances. I will say this that if this Indian team plays to its full potential they could have thrashed this Australian side, but that hasn't happened. We've been asked to bat and chosen to bat first in each of the games and we've been at a disadvantage as well due to those two flat pitches on which the team batting second does have an advantage. Now speaking of those flat pitches I've got another point to relate to. How about we criticize those pitches for not producing and equal contenst between bat and ball like people started saying during the test series against SA in India when we were winning. Why aren't those two flat pitches getting any criticism? I don't think they were really good wickets all at all considering all the flak the Nagpur and Mohali pitch were getting for being too advantageous for bowling.
I agree Smith has yet to be fully tested in Asia, but as long as he is scoring runs he is going to be glorified and the same is true of all cricketers. However what I can't deny is that an Asian batsman must score outside Asia to be considered good, but non-Asian batsmen can fail all they want in Asia without having their skills questioned.
Take the case of Ponting. He averages a pathetically low 26.5 in India, and yet it doesn't seem to affect his legacy. Some morons even say he, who couldn't play spin to save his life, was a more complete batsman than Tendulkar who actually averages more away from India, than he does in India. Can you imagine how quickly Tendulkar would have been burried by these morons if he averaged 26 in Australia and not 58? A low avg in Aus would be held against Tendulkar and it would have been said he can only score in the sub-continent and what not, but Ponting being pathetic against spin is no problem.
Smith vs Kohli is kind of the same argument. One bad tour to Eng is forever a blemish on Kohli, but Smith and Root and co. will be free to come to India and get away with scoring nothing, like Ponting and Lara (avg of 35 vs India) have for their entire careers. Now imagine Tendulkar averaging 26.5 in England and 35 vs Australia and think of how the situation would be different for him.
I also don't agree that India could thrash Australia in Australia. The batsmen are playing to their potential, and sadly so are the bowlers. This is their peak. Its no accident Ishant averages an apalling 36 with the ball, after 7 years of Int'l cricket. Honestly look around the world, he would not even make the second string side of any other top team in the world. Aus - No, SA - No, Eng - No, Pak - No, NZ - No, SL - No. I think even WI would not pick him. That this guy is the spearhead of the India line up tells you all you need to know about the state of Indian bowling.
India banks heavily in spinners for getting wickets and outside India, its hard as every team does its utmost to ensure the India spinners have no help from the pitch at all, when India go there. Which is fair enough, every must play to its strength and has a right to decide what kind of pitches they prepare.
Also, I will be the first to admit that Asian pitches are overly criticised. The slightest hint of spin and people go mad and overboard with criticism. The is true of flat wickets too. A flat wickets in Asia like the one for the first test in Pak vs Eng series, gets labelled as a road, runway, and what not, but a flat pitch in Aus vs NZ 2nd test I think where every batsman and his dog scored a hundred, barely get any flack and the runs are celebrated.
However in ODIs flat tracks is the norm. You will rarely see an ODI played on a track that doesnt help batsmen. So I really don't think the flat tracks in Australia are something to be critical about.
I do agree that the strength of Australia has hurt the Indian bowling and they seem to be worse than they are, but having said, they actual standard is not far off from where they are. Indian bowling just has been terrible. India have now lost 3 straight ODI series under Dhoni (B'desh, SA and now Aus), and the bowling was to blame in two of them for sure.
