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#INDvAUS: Australia can take confidence from wickets offered to England: Sridharan Sriram

The pitches against England were also very good, not rank turners. That is something they can take confidence from. With three-and-a-half days of good pitch and natural deterioration, it will be a very good series: Sriram

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Sridharan Sriram at the ICC Academy in Dubai during Australia’s camp
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Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting may have felt that Steve Smith's side "will struggle" in India because "they probably make wickets to suit them more than ever before".

But India's and Tamil Nadu's yesteryear left-handed batsman Sridharan Sriram, who will be Australia's spin consultant on tour and assist head coach Darren Lehmann in the four Tests, said that the team from Down Under can take confidence from the pitches that were on offer for the India-England Tests in November-December 2016.

Sriram's knowledge of the sub-continent conditions is what the Australians look from him. Be it helping the spinners or the batsmen. He was "fielding consultant" for the Test component of the Sri Lanka tour while he has been named as "spin consultant" for the India tour by Cricket Australia.

"The pitches against England were also very good, not rank turners. That is something they can take confidence from. Also, with Pune, Ranchi and Dharamashala hosting Tests for the first time, am sure they will go for good pitches. They gave good wickets in Rajkot, Indore and Visakhapatnam – all first-time Test venues without uneven bounce. With three-and-a-half days of good pitch and natural deterioration, it will be a very good series," Sriram told DNA from Chennai last month before joining the Australian team in Dubai.

It is a known-fact that Australia have struggled here, just like how India find it difficult there. But Sriram felt that the ghosts of 0-3 whitewash in Sri Lanka last July-August will not haunt Smith and Co. "The players have also changed. Lots of new players have come. They won't have the baggage from what happened in Sri Lanka. It will be definitely a fresh start. Also, (David) Warner in form is a big plus," the 40-year-old said.

Sriram last worked with the Australian team on that Lanka tour and before that, for a brief while prior to last year's World T20 in the consultant role.

He was wary of India's form at home but said the notes from the England series will come handy for the Australians. "India is playing extraordinary cricket. From Australian perspective, it will be a fresh start. Most of the batsmen are new. I've worked with Peter Handscombe on India 'A' tour, Glenn Maxwell before World T20. Shaun Marsh, Smith, Warner and Khawaja were in Sri Lanka. I am yet to determine what changes they have made to their game in the last six months, how they have evolved as players, what mental space they are in after going to Dubai. Sitting in Chennai, I can't make plans. Definitely, having watched the India-England series, I can take some some points on how they played," Sriram confessed.

Spin will play a major role in the series, just like how Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja dominated in the five-match series against England. The upcoming series against Australia will pit Ashwin against Australia's No. 1 spinner Nathan Lyon.

Ashwin has taken 213 out of his 254 career Test wickets at 21.64 in the Asian continent whereas Lyon has 42 in 11 Tests in the same region at 42.57.

Sriram said it will be a challenge for the off-spinner Lyon. "Both are great spinners. Ashwin has a great success in this part of the world and Lyon has had greater success in that part of the world. It will be more of a challenge for Lyon to adapt. He has been on a few tours and knows what he needs to do to adapt. He is more experienced. He is knowledgeable, having played 63 Tests, he knows what it takes to bowl in different places and different opposition."

Australia have named four specialist spinners for the tour. Lyon apart, they have two left-arm spinners Steve O'Keefe and Ashton Agar and little-known leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson. O'Keefe and Swepson will form a good combination, felt Sriram.

"Lyon and O'Keefe share a great rapport. They feed off each other. I have seen them discuss a lot about bowling. Both play for New South Wales. If someone goes wrong, the other will be the first to say what he should be doing. That is a great plus-point. They work very well together.

"In Sri Lanka, we were unfortunate we lost O'Keefe in the middle of the first Test. Steve Smith said in one of the interviews that he looked like getting a wicket off every ball. It was so true. He took 10 wickets in the tour game. He took two wickets in the first innings and got injured in the second innings. He also batted brilliantly. He is someone who can be like Ashwin, contributing in the lower-order. He adds a lot of value with the bat. I know how keen he is to do well for Australia. He relishes every opportunity to play Test cricket. He knows that his body has not been kind to him in the last two years. He has been working hard and it will be a great tour for him."

Like in the past, Australia have named a rookie in leg-spinner Swepson for the tour. Uncapped off-spinners Gavin Robertson (1998), Nathan Hauritz (2004) and Jason Krejza (2008) made their Test debuts in India but did not last long.

Swepson will last long, feels Sriram, who has worked with him in the past. "They are looking at Swepson as a long-time player who can play Test cricket both in Australia and overseas. He has been rated as one of the best and upcoming spinners in the last year or so. He was in the academy last year, he came twice to India in a row with academy teams. He has a lot of experience bowling in India and in sub-continent conditions. He has done very well in whatever matches he has played in India. He has had a fantastic BBL. They see him as a long-term prospect. It will be a great tour for him. If he happens to play against the likes of Kohli and Pujara, he will learn a lot."

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