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Former Australia and Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan has issued a stern warning to India's top-order batters, including seasoned stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, ahead of the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Buchanan emphasizes that India's chances of securing a third consecutive Test series victory in Australia will heavily rely on how these key players handle the formidable Australian pace attack. 

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What did John Buchanan say?

Buchanan highlighted the critical role of Rohit and Kohli in the upcoming series. Both players are seen as pivotal in establishing strong totals, which will be crucial in countering Australia's potent bowling lineup.

"Australia, since losing to India in the last series, has a pace bowling attack supported by Nathan Lyon and either Cameron Green or Mitch Marsh. This forms a very powerful bowling lineup," Buchanan said during the launch of a multi-sport program at CP Goenka International School.

"India's top order, with players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and possibly Shreyas Iyer, will need to bat exceptionally well to set competitive totals," he added. 

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How will India's top order challenge Australia's pace attack?

Buchanan suggests that India's top-order batsmen will need to endure and adapt to the challenging conditions in Australia.

The ability to bat long and tire out the bowlers could play a significant role in India's success, similar to the strategies employed by Cheteshwar Pujara in the previous series.

"If India can not only bat well, but bat for long periods of time, then it will test the physical capacities of that Australian bowling attack and therein potentially lies a little bit of a key to how India can look at winning the series," he said.

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As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy approaches, all eyes will be on India's top-order batsmen to see if they can rise to the occasion.

Their performance against Australia's top-notch pace attack will be crucial in determining the outcome of the series and potentially making history for Indian cricket.


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Saurav Goyal is a content producer for The Sporting News’ India edition.