Ditch the 'Aussie line' to thrive in India: Dizzy

Ditching the traditional "Australian line" and attacking the stumps with pace could be the best chance for success in India, says former Test player Jason Gillespie.

'Dizzy' Gillespie was Australia's best bowler on the successful 2004 tour of India, employing a stump-to-stump strategy to great effect and claiming 20 wickets at 16.15 in four Tests. Australia won the series 2-1, their only series win in India for the past 47 years.

And while a Test series in India "is probably the toughest challenge they'll face as individual players and as a group" Gillespie says there are lessons to be learned from the 2004 tour he now rates as one of his greatest career highlights.

"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.

"We knew we had The King at the other end, Warney (Shane Warne) doing his thing, so we just rotated, backed our skills to be really ruthless, really disciplined with our line and length, stay nice and patient and wear them down.

"Fortunately we were able to do that. You need a little bit of luck along the way, but you make your own luck through that hard work.

"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."

Image Id: 6AD1F7026AC14E6FBF04C85ABF50A588 Image Caption: The 2004 Border-Gavaskar Series winners // Getty

Adam Gilchrist, who captained Australia in the first three Tests of the 2004 series, saidtaking 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).

Quick Single: Gilchrist recalls key to 2004 success

"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."

Warne and Glenn McGrath claimed 14 wickets each on that 2004 tour, while debutant Michael Clarke famously claimed 6-9 in Mumbai.

The 2017 tourists will be led by a pace attack of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, with Jackson Bird and allrounder Mtichell Marsh providing alternative seam bowling options.

Gillespie said he expected Steve Smith's men to employ two spinners, and rated the surprise inclusion of leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson.

"I think the slow-bowling options are good," Gillespie said. "I'm really, really pleased Mitch Swepson has been given that opportunity. I think he's a fine young bowler.

"I have a feeling they'll play two or three seam options and a couple of spin options because they've got the allrounders in there as well.

"I certainly think they'll need two slow-bowling options in the Test matches.

"I think if they have two seamers and two spinners, that's hard work for those quicks.

"Hence why I think they've picked the allrounders in Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell to potentially fill a role there, whether it's seam or spin.

"They've got lots of options so I'm quite excited."

Gillespie also backed Test match newcomers Matthew Renshaw and Peter Handscomb to be successful in the subcontinent.

"I like Matt Renshaw, how he's gone about it in the early stages of his career. It's obviously very early, but there's a lot to like," Gillespie said.

"He's a young man, he's shown what he can do at Test level in such a short career so far, he's adapting and learning and he'll do that in India as well.

"The selectors have shown their hand, they rate this kid highly, now it's an opportunity to give him some good experience.

"I don't see why Renshaw shouldn't open. He's just punched out 170-odd in his last Test innings, he's started well, he's a good player. He will adapt and learn how to play against India in India.

"As long as he's been training specifically, has a plan, commits to it and believes and trusts in himself, that will give him the best chance to be successful.

"There's no reason someone like a Renshaw and Handscomb can't have real success in India."