India vs Australia | I sense that Virat Kohli & Co. can smell blood, reveals Justin Langer

Team India begin their Test campaign against Australia on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval and will hope to register a win in the series opener in order to set the tone for the series. Virat Kohli & Co. will enter the series as firm favorites to register a win on Australian soil for the first time ever as the hosts’ will aim to put up a strong fight in the absence of star pair, Steven Smith and David Warner.

Australian coach, Justin Langer, admitted that Kohli and boys will be well aware of the situation in the Australian dressing room and will make the most of his side’s weaknesses. Langer revealed that the Indians will ‘smell blood’.

“You sense they’re smelling blood. Just like the great Australian cricket team of 2001 felt and we just fell short (of winning in India) and we were able to (win in) 2004. You sense these moments. I’m sensing India feel that,” Langer told Australian radio channel SEN’s Whateley. 

India has never won a series in Australia against the hosts’ and suffered a 2-1 and 4-1 Test series loss to South Africa and England on both their overseas tours earlier this year. However, they bounced back with a convincing win over Windies and Langer added that his side will show the visitors the respect they deserve.

"They’re a good team and they’ve got a couple of great players and we will show them great respect, They haven’t had great success in Australia in the past, as Australia haven’t had in India. They’ll also be under great pressure, I think,” Langer added.

Australia will be without banned duo of Smith and Warner after they were found guilty by CA for their role in the ‘ball-tampering’ saga earlier this year in South Africa. The hosts will play their first Test on home soil since that incident occurred and Langer said his team also have a lot to prove.

“... they’re (India) up against a really talented young Australian cricket team who have got plenty to prove. We’ve been through so much in the last nine months. We’ve been rolling our sleeves up, we’ve got plenty to prove as well,” Langer concluded.