Australia’s formidable bowling quartet of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon poses a significant threat to India’s dominance in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, according to Pakistan’s Test team head coach Jason Gillespie. Despite India’s impressive record of four consecutive series wins since 2014-15, Gillespie believes the Australian bowlers have the potential to turn the tide.
Gillespie expressed his confidence in an interview with ‘Fox Sports’, stating, “I will be backing them in and I am sure they can do the job. They are the best bowlers in the country. Their records speak for themselves. This quartet, including Nathan Lyon, is the best possible bowling attack that Australia can put out in the park.”
India, led by Rohit Sharma, has maintained an unbeaten streak in the current World Test Championship cycle, securing victories against the West Indies and England, and a draw against South Africa. However, Gillespie remains optimistic about Australia’s chances, saying, “They are red-hot, they are playing some good Test cricket for a while now. Even though they have beaten Australia in recent times. I think Australia have a chance to beat India this time around.”
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, part of the World Test Championship, will commence on November 22 in Perth. This series will also mark a historic milestone as it will be the first time since 1991-92 that India and Australia will compete in a five-Test series for this trophy.
In terms of player positions, following David Warner’s retirement, Steve Smith had moved to the opening slot but didn’t perform well. Gillespie suggested, “Players like David Warner are pretty tough to replace. I didn’t mind the idea of Steve Smith going up in the order. I have a feeling that he might have slot back in the middle order to bat at 4.”
India and Australia currently occupy the top two spots in the World Test Championship points table, with New Zealand in third place. The upcoming series promises to be a thrilling contest between two of the world’s leading Test nations.
