Mitchell Johnson says India will be nervous at Dharamsala

Tags: Australia tour of India,2017, India, Australia, Mitchell Guy Johnson

Published on: Mar 23, 2017

Former Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson thinks India will be nervous when they face Australia

Former Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson thinks India will be nervous when they face Australia in Dharamsala as the venue is pace-friendly conditions. As such, Steve Smith and his boys will be more confident, feels Johnson.
"Dharamsala is an amazing ground and the only times I have seen it are with grass on (the pitch). So I think that's why the Australians will probably be confident and India will be a little bit nervous. I think they've been overconfident in this series and I think the scoreline shows that," Johnson told Fox Sports in a PTI report.
The Aussie pacer feels that first Test star Steve O'Keefe may be replaced by Jackson Bird for the fourth Test owing to the conditions. "I think we're going to lose a spinner out of this Test match," he said.
"The spinners have been great throughout the series. There's been a lot of pressure on the spinners to go out there and perform and I think they've had some good patches and some bad patches. But that's the game. It's a tough one because they have both had their moments in this series, but I think you have got to go with experience.
"I think Nathan Lyon will get a lot more bounce and he has been turning the ball quite nicely. But then again, you've got to look at left- and right-hand combinations," Johnson added.
On Bird, he added, "If it's more of an Australian kind of wicket, I think you'll see Nathan Lyon bowl and Bird come in as the third quick.
Johnson further believes the draw at Ranchi gives Australia a psychological edge going into the final Test. "(The result in Ranchi) gives Australia a huge advantage I think. For them (India) to know that it's not about Steve Smith and David Warner, other guys in the team can perform and can play out for a draw. They dug in and played exceptional cricket."
"They (Australia) will be pumped after that. Even though it was only a draw, to them it will feel very good and very positive. Because they have collapsed a lot in the past. That's why I'm confident Australia will win," he exclaimed.
--By A Cricket Correspondent

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