NEW DELHI: Eyeing for an unprecedented hat-trick of series wins in Australia, the Indian team’s mission Down Under commences on November 22 with the first Test in Perth.
After securing incredible wins in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 tours, Rohit Sharma and Co. will look to give Australia a tough challenge in a ‘five-Test’ series for the first time since 1991-92
With India boasting a splendid bowling attack and a combination of youth and experience in the batting line-up, former India skipper Shane Watson feels that the India team has got the firepower to triumph in Australia for a third time in a row.
Watson said Australia will have to be at their ‘very best’ to beat India.
The former all-rounder backed the Indian pace attack to dominate Australia in their own backyard. Watson however, said that in the gruelling tour, India will have to rotate their well.
“India’s pace attack will be where they predominantly win that series. They’ve got the firepower to be able to do it, but to be able to do it five Test matches in a row in Australia, they’ll have to rotate them as well,” Watson told the media during the launch of the International Masters League.
“There’s no question, even though (Ravichandran) Ashwin obviously is a ridiculously skilled bowler in all conditions, same with (Ravindra) Jadeja, but the assistance won’t be as consistent as it is in other parts of the world. They’ll still be effective, but how effective they’ll be, that’ll be the test and that’ll be the challenge for the Aussie batters,” he added.
For the tour Down Under, India are expected to carry a star-studded batting line-up that will have the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and young blood in form of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill. In middle-order, India have Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan among others to pick from.
Watson feels that India’s batting will be a challenge for the hosts and they have to be vary of their attacking play.
“With the calibre of batters that India have got and the skill they’ve got, there’s no reason why they can’t combine that, putting pressure on the bowlers, score quickly but also not make mistakes,” he said.
“India have certainly got the team that has got the firepower, give Australia a huge challenge at home. The last time that they met in Australia, India played very, very well. They will have their confidence from that last tour,” he said.
“But just knowing the firepower that India do have with the bat and the ball and how they continue to come together, Australia are going to have to be at their very, very best to be able to win that series,” he said.
After the opener in Perth, India will then play their matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
