India have a problem. As the No1 Test team in the world prepares for the four match Border Gavaskar series Down Under, their concerns have flipped on its head within the space of one warm-up game.

Entering the series, it was believed India’s batsmen needed to pull their socks up as after a thoroughly underwhelming tour of England where captain Virat Kohli waged a lone battle, scoring nearly 600 runs in a low-scoring series that the Indian lost 4-1.

Captain Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri insist this is one of the best Indian teams ever. All they need is for a few batsmen to find form as they have the bowlers who can take 20 wickets. I am of a similar opinion as well; not about this being the best Indian team though.

The Indian management had managed to extend their sole warm-up game before the Test series in Sydney to a four-day affair in order to give their Test hopefuls an extended run. The Test regulars were already being prepared for the Test series, playing against New Zealand A in unofficial Tests across the Tasman sea.

And then, the warm-up game against an extremely weak Cricket Australia XI happened. India were tested batting first on a greenish SCG pitch as they managed 358. Then with the ball, things went sideways.

Limited overs batsman D’Arcy Short was the only batsman of any repute in the Aussie side. Yet the hosts piled on a little under 550 – against the entire Indian Test attack.

There were contributions all the way down to number 11 as Indian bowlers – specially off-spinner Ravi Ashwin (2-122 from 40 overs) and pacer Umesh Yadav (1-113 from 28) – were kept out in the sun.

If bowling extended spells was the aim, then the Indian management succeeded. But it is difficult to think the Indians wanted their bowlers to stay out in the field and simply bowl overs. No one ‘under-performs’ like that in a tour game for practice.

What happened is India’s bowlers received a reality check.

They took 20 wickets in Tests on extremely helpful pitches in South Africa and England where the ball swung and seamed on all days throughout the three sessions. On the flat drop-in pitches in Australia, that won’t happen no matter how much grass the Australians leave on the pitch.

Day Three and Four will be hard grinds for bowlers and the Indian management must have wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the XI as he, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, look like the only bowlers who can take wickets on any pitch.

There are many permutations and combinations out there regarding the Playing XI for the first Test in Adelaide. India must decide if they go with the extra batsman or five bowlers. Whatever they do, Kuldeep must play as his wrist spin is the only guarantee when the going gets tough. Once the pitch flattens out in the second innings, finger spinners like Ravi Ashiwn and Ravindra Jadeja will be like canon fodder. Neither has developed his bowling for hard wickets like Aussie offie Nathan Lyon, who thrives on such pitches.

Granted, Kuldeep’s selection on a greentop at Lord’s against England was a disastrous call but the conditions there were excessively loaded in favour of swing bowlers. That won’t be the case in Australia.

Kuldeep’s wrist spin can produce wickets even after 50 overs in the second essay on a flat pitch. You can’t say that about Ashwin or Jadeja. And that is the bottom line – India’s bowlers won’t get quick 20 wickets. It’s high time the management realises it.