India vs Australia | I will pick Australia to win the series, says Ian Chappell

It could well be the best chance for the Indian team to win a Test series in Australia against in the absence of three of its frontline players but former Australia Cricket team captain Ian Chappell says that the hosts will manage to pull off a series victory even in the absence of the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. 

"I am going to pick Australia, but don't ask me why I am picking them. I think the only reasonable reason I can give is that I was disappointed the way India played in England and I thought they should have won that series," Chappell said.

But Chappell also accepted that on paper the Indian side should beat the current Australian side. The Indian team a couple of months ago had lost a Test series to England 1-4 which Chappell said was probably the reason for him favouring the hosts. 

"Certainly, on talent, they should beat this Australian side, but there might just be something missing. The other thing is the Australian attack."

Chappell also asserted that though the Indian bowling attack is better than ever, they are yet to prove themselves on the bouncy and fast pitches which are pretty different from the ones India got in England. On the other hand, he believes that the Australian bowling has already proved its mettle in these conditions.

"They got the ball to move around. I'm not sure they will get the same kind of assistance in Australian conditions, so I'm interested to see how they bowl, and I think those two things could tell a big story in the series," he said.

"It is a very good one. It is proven under Australian conditions and the Indian attack is not proven under Australian conditions. So it is pretty flimsy evidence but I am going to pick Australia," he added.

On the all the hullabaloo around this being India’s best team in the last fifteen years. Chappell felt that on the fast bowling from the front the assertion is right as he feels that this pace bowling unit of India is better suited to Australian conditions than any other before it. 

"I think it is one of the better teams to come from India, and certainly, as far as the fast bowlers are concerned, they are better suited to Australian conditions than any other pace-bowling attack I have seen come from India."

"But while things look good on paper for India, that has got to be translated into form on the field," he said.

India’s only fast bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya got injured during a match in the Asia Cup and has not been able to recover yet. On his absence, Chappell said that it will affect the Indian team’s balance which might tilt the game in the Hosts’ favour.

"...because he was the balance to the team. If you had Pandya there under Australian conditions, he could perform as your third seamer and you could play two spinners in places like Adelaide and Sydney, where I think it is very handy to have five bowlers," he said.

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