Indian captain Virat Kohli will be the main man as far as Australia is concerned. His form in recent Test series and his unparalleled run-getting abilities in the previous tour back in 2014 only underline his ruthless form down under.
There will be little doubt that he will be the focus when Australia sit together and discuss tactics.
As such, a recent article by Cricviz writer Ben Jones has been making the rounds. It has caught the eye of Australian head coach Justin Langer who has handed out the copy to Australian players.
While discussing strategies and looking at previous numbers and statistics is nothing new in cricket, the fact that Australia is looking at suggestions from those outside their own thinktank makes for an interesting peg.
Jones has argued that the Indian captain has historically struggled against deliveries that deck back in off the seam after pitching. Kohli averages 46.28 when the ball is pitched up, 66.33 against good-length balls and 69.33 against short-pitched deliveries.
It all depends on execution
While these hypotheses are well and good, it all comes down to how players go out in the field and execute plans. On true Australian pitches and on rapid outfields, Kohli can be quite punishing if the ball is without any movement.
The article suggests that Kohli falls to seam more than to swing. "It's a good point," said Josh Hazlewood, who will play a key role with the ball.
"He's one of those guys who can score pretty freely, a number of the guys can in this Indian side, but sometimes those risks bring the most rewards as well. It's just about weighing that up and assessing how long we stay at each plan for. We might stay at it for 20 balls or 80 balls, depending on how we feel, and it's about adapting once we're on the field," he further added.
