India’s upcoming Test series in Australia is among the most highly anticipated tours in recent memory given how the past few exchanges have gone by. Australia last lifted the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2015 and ever since, it has stayed on Indian shores.
Australia, the current world Test champions, have been made to eat the humble pie twice in a row by the visiting Indian side as they claimed back-to-back series victories Down Under.
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India are now eyeing a hat-trick of series win on Australian shores but the legendary Ricky Ponting expects Pat Cummins and co to reverse the trend, predicting a 3-1 scoreline in favour of the Aussies.
India legend and former head coach Ravi Shastri says even though the series will be a hotly contested affair, he feels Rohit Sharma’s men to return home victorious.
“The Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia over five Test matches is going to be a humdinger,” Shastri told ICC. “Remember, India have beaten Australia twice on the last two tours and Australia have not had a hand on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in almost a decade and that’s the reason why everyone will be waiting for these two heavyweights of Test match cricket over the last five to eight years to go head-to-head.”
“It is going to be one heck of a series and India have every chance of making it a hat-trick because they’ve got their bowlers fit and if they can bat well, they can tickle (beat) Australia once again,” he added.
India and Australia last clashed (in Tests) during the final of the ICC World Test Championship when the latter won by 209 runs to lift the trophy.
With the tag of the world champions, Australia will be eyeing revenge this time around, reckons Shastri.
“We know what Australia will be wanting (revenge),” Shastri said. “They will be thirsty, they’d be looking to go at the throats of the Indians because they’ve been beaten there (in Australia) twice,” he said.
“The attack is pretty much the same. One of the greatest fast bowling attacks – (one of the greatest) all-round attacks when you add Nathan Lyon there – in a long, long time. And one of the best in the history of the game. They’ll be looking for those 20 wickets, game after game to help Australia win the series,” he added.
India have a strong batting line-up but they will be well aware how Australia troubled them consistently during the last tour that included the visitors being bowled out for a historic low of 36 runs in an innings of the day-night Test in Adelaide.
India though recovered from that thrashing to beat Australia 2-1.
“It’s going to be India’s batting against the Australian fast bowlers. And of course, the Indian bowling attack is going to be something everyone will be waiting to see,” Shastri said.
“With (Jasprit) Bumrah fit, (Mohammed) Shami fit, you’ve got Mohammed Siraj there. You’ve got the likes of (Ravinchandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja and some very good bench strength as well. One can’t wait for that series to start and (I think) India can do the hat-trick (of series victories in Australia),” he concluded.
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