Australia will start favourites in home Day-night Test against India, reveals Steve Waugh
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Steve Waugh believes that Australia will start as favourites in the upcoming Test series against India because of their familiarity with conditions and Indiaās inexperience with the day-night Test. Waugh also noted that the Aussies didnāt have their best batsmen when India visited in 2018/19.
The four-match series between the two giants of the game later in the year has been much-awaited among all true lovers of the sport. The last time India visited, under Virat Kohli, they had become the first team from Asia to script a series-win Down Under. But given that India will be playing their first-ever overseas pink-ball Test on the tour and with the conditions always in favour of the hosts, Waugh believes it will be much tougher for Kohli and Co. to walk away with a similar result.
āAustralia will be the favourite I think. We know the pitches well and the day-night Test is going to be something relatively new for India. I like the way Virat Kohli is taking that challenge. If you want to be the best side in the world, you have to win away from home as much as possible," Waugh told PTI.
Waugh, himself, expects a great series on the cards but rightly noted that Indiaās 2-1 win in 2018/19 came when the Aussies didnāt have David Warner or Steve Smith, who were serving their 12-month bans for their role in the ball-tampering scandal, in the team. Added to that, Australia were given a lifeline in the middle order with the emergence of Marnus Labuschagne after stepping in as a concussion substitute in the Ashes series. However, Waugh added that everything is in line for potentially a great series.Ā
"You canāt take away from India winning last time but Australia did not have the best batsmen. Marnus Labuschagne has come out of nowhere, the bowling looks much settled now. India does not have weaknesses either, so itās potentially a great series,ā Waugh added.Ā
