Don't over-attack in India, warns Border

Decorated former Test captain Allan Border has called for Australia's bowlers to not "over-attack" and be patient on their coming tour of India as they look to halt a losing streak lasting more than a decade.

Australia has not won a Test match – let alone series – on Indian soil since their famous 2004 triumph.

Quick single: Ditch the 'Aussie line' to thrive in India, says Dizzy

The 2-1 victory is their only series win in India for the past 47 years, while the home side is the current No.1 ranked Test team in the world and boasts an undefeated run of 18 Tests since a loss against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2015.

"You've got to have that (patient) mindset – sometimes we over-attack – and we've got take a deep breath and play a bit more of a defensive game at times," Border told Melbourne radio station SEN.

"They've got a phenomenally good batting line-up, India, and to get our 20 wickets to win games we're going to have to show a lot more patience than we normally do."

Virat Kohli's all-conquering side piled on more than 400 runs five times in their recent 4-0 victory against England, including massive totals of 7-759dec and 631 in the final two Tests.

Australia has put their faith in slow bowlers for the Test series, which starts in Pune on February 23, with Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe, Ashton Agar, uncapped Mitchell Swepson and allrounder Glenn Maxwell selected in the 16-man touring party.

Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird will spearhead the pace attack, with allrounder Mitchell Marsh a seam-bowling option.

"I'm not sure whether we're going to beat them just with spin options," Border said.

"Traditionally, the off-spinners have done pretty well there. I think back to Greg Matthews (who took 10 wickets) in the tied Test (in 1986). He was phenomenal.

"Jason Krejza got 12 wickets in a Test match (in 2008), so the offies have done OK, but you've really got to bowl well."

Pacemen Jason Gillespie (20 wickets), Glenn McGrath (14) and Michael Kasprowicz (9) played key roles in the 2004 series victory and Border said he would have selected injury-prone pacemen Pat Cummins for the four-match series.

Quick single: Zampa's hilarious selection ploy

The 23-year-old has not played a first-class match since 2015, but has displayed impressive form through the Matador Cup, KFC Big Bash League and in ODI series against New Zealand and Pakistan.

The fiery Cummins claimed seven wickets in his one and only Test appearance so far against South Africa in Johannesburg in November, 2011.

"I personally would have taken a gamble on another paceman, probably Pat Cummins," Border said.

"I think he's ready to go and I'm not sure why they're holding him back so much. But obviously they know, they're the inner-sanctum.

"I would have been very tempted to have that firepower bowling option.

"If you use Pat Cummins properly, he's only got to bowl 16-18 overs in a day and you just do it in four short bursts and you let him rip.

"If I'm a batsman, I know who I'd prefer to face, even on a turning track. He's a guy who can really get some reverse swing as well, which will be really key to doing well over there for the faster blokes as the ball gets older and torn up."

Adam Gilchrist, who captained Australia in the first three Tests of the 2004 series, said taking a "negative" approach with the quicks was a key ingredient.

"We ended up totally changing our policy in '04," he said on Sky Sports Radio.

"We went from thinking it all had to be based around spin and going to our quicks (instead).

"But the main thing with the quicks was that we went really negative. We started with one slip, a deep point, a deep square leg and just played on the Indians' egos.

"That was probably the key tactical change we made in that series and it worked nicely. It was a patience game, but it came through."

Gillespie said ditching the traditional "Australian line" of bowling wide of off stump and attacking the wicket with pace could be the best chance for success in India.

Quick single: Plucky Pete lines up for lottery ticket

The Adelaide Strikers coach was Australia's best bowler on the successful 2004 tour, employing a stump-to-stump strategy to great effect and claiming 20 wickets at 16.15 in four Tests.

"We had a plan as a fast bowling team – the team within the team – we changed our approach to bowling in India," Gillespie told cricket.com.au's The Unplayable Podcast.

"I remember in past tours we bowled 'the Australian line', the fourth and fifth stump line, and invite the drives for the nicks.

"We felt that the Indians, while they're very good playing off their stumps through the leg-side because they're very wristy players, we felt if we could look to really attack the stumps — almost a 'you miss I hit' mentality — and block their big boundary options, make them run between wickets in the heat, back our skills and fitness to be able to just hang in there, be really disciplined with our line and length.

"It was a tough tour but it was a great experience and to win that series was certainly one of the highlights of my career and for a lot of the lads that played in that series."