John Buchanan

Calcutta: Like Team India coach Gary Kirsten, John Buchanan too feels Mahendra Singh Dhoni is ready for the Test captaincy, but his elevation — if it’s to be done immediately — should be guided by our strategy in the forthcoming series versus Australia.

“I would stick with Anil Kumble, but also look at the strategy to be adopted against the best team… Giving the job to (ODI and Twenty20 captain) Dhoni would probably catch Australia off guard… They have, after all, already seen Kumble at the helm in Tests and know what to expect from him… Dhoni could surprise,” Buchanan, who coached Australia with phenomenal success for close to eight years, told The Telegraph.

Speaking on Friday evening, shortly before returning home (Brisbane) at the end of a Kolkata Knight Riders’-related trip, he’d added: “Besides strategy, you need to look at whether you want Dhoni to invigorate the Test side in the manner of the one-day team… Dhoni has certainly changed the look of India’s one-day side… Having said all that, it’s not my call, though.”

According to Buchanan, who was in the coach’s chair in four series’ versus India — 1999-2000 (won) and 2003-2004 (drawn) at home and 2000-2001 (lost) and 2004-2005 (won) in India — both teams would be “somewhat nervous” going into the first Test, in Bangalore, from October 9.

“India lost the last Test series, in Sri Lanka, and there are definitely issues around the Australians… Whoever wins in Bangalore will, I guess, have a real momentum going into the remainder of the series (three Tests)…

“The side hasn’t been picked as yet, but Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden are recovering from injuries and Brett Lee (just divorced) and Andrew Symonds (at the centre of a fishing controversy) have been having problems of a personal nature… So, it’s going to be very interesting…”

While Ponting has been off cricket from the end of June, Hayden’s last appearance for Australia was as far back as early March.

“It’s not easy coming to India and straightaway hitting form… I’m saying that from experience,” Buchanan remarked.

He expects the batsmen, more than the bowlers, to make the difference.

Talking about the Fab Four (Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S.Laxman), Buchanan said he’d retain them for the first Test, at least.

“They had a rough time in Sri Lanka, but I’d go with experience, certainly at the start of the series… All four, of course, won’t be in the XI if the strategy is to play five specialist bowlers.”

Asked if an India-Australia Test series could actually be on a par with the Ashes (as has been spoken about at different times), Buchanan replied: “I don’t think so… The Ashes will remain at the top with, I suppose, an India-Pakistan series getting the highest billing, emotional and otherwise, in these parts…”

The next Ashes contest is in the summer of 2009. In the near future, then, it’s the India-Australia clash that Buchanan will be following with considerable interest.