The Men in Blue are all set to return to action in the longest format of the game on February 9th as they will take on Australia in the upcoming four-match series. The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as the series is officially called – will be a crucial chance for the Indian side to qualify for the World Test Championship final. India is currently sitting in the second spot in the points table with Australia comfortably seated at the top spot.
Ahead of the much-awaited four-match Test series, there has been significant chatter in the build-up to the high-octane clash. Several cricketers and experts are indulging in various debates ahead of the series.
Two weeks ago, Australia’s legendary former wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist had said that Australia could secure a win in the series, and further compared the side to the 2004 squad that was led by the legendary captain Ricky Ponting. He had said:
“I think they’ll do it (win the series). I really do. I think they’ve got a squad and final XI that will have a lot of similarities to the team we rolled with in 2004,”
Notably, Gilchrist was also a part of the 2004 squad that took on India.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has now reacted to the comment from the Aussie legend. Kaif feels that both sides are barely comparable. Speaking on a video shared by Star Sports, Kaif hit out at Gilchrist and claimed that Australians are scared. He said:
“Australia are travelling to India with 18 players. That, in itself, shows that they are scared. They are in doubt. They haven’t toured India with 18 players ever. They know India are a strong team at home, it isn’t easy to beat them.”
Mohammad Kaif further claimed that it won’t be easy for Australia to defeat India in India. He said: “Virat Kohli wasn’t there at the Gabba, and he’s back in the team. Australia are a strong team, they are in form, but beating India in India isn’t easy at all. Can they bat? Can they see off Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, Kuldeep? Only if they could tackle spin, it would be a good competition.”
“The team that toured 2004 was very strong. This team has performed good in the recent past. But they faced issues with captaincy, they had controversies with ban on Warner and Smith. They’ve faced some issues. Moreover, a young Indian team had beaten Australia Down Under. That’s a wound they’re carrying with them. So, it won’t be easy,” Kaif said.
