Chetan Sharma feels that India will make Australia run in their own backyard.© X (BCCI)
Team India will tour Australia for a highly-anticipated five-match Test series later this year. Australia have had a historical edge over India in Test bilaterals. However, they haven't between India home or away since the 2014-15 series Down Under. In fact, during that period, India have won all four Test series between the two nations, including back-to-back wins on Australian soil. Former Team India chief selector Chetan Sharma feels that the Rohit Sharma-led side will make Australia run in their own backyard in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Sharma, who was the chief selector during India's last tour of Australia, feels that the visitors will have the edge over the hosts, having dominated the Pat Cummins-led side in recent times.
"There was a time when we used to think about what would happen when we went to Australia. How will we perform? And for the last two tours, we went to Australia and beat them. Previously, Australia used to take us lightly but now they know they have to play out of their skins to beat India. We have built that reputation. We are currently the No.1-ranked team in the world. We will not only will give them a tough fight but we will make them run in their own backyard (hum unko bhagaynge unke hi ghar mein). I have a lot of confidence in the players," Sharma told RevSportz.
Sharma also suggested that the Jasprit Bumrah-led bowling attack will be the team's trump card this around.
"I have said multiple times that bowlers will win you Test matches. Right now, Tea India has the best bowling attack in the world. We have always had good batters. At times, in foreign conditions, you get pitches when teams get bowled out for 250-260. Do you have the bowling attack to get them out? We have seen it in recent times that we have bowlers to bowl the opposition out for even 150. Our bowlers are our trump card," he added.
For the record, this will be the first time since the early 1990s that India will be playing a five-match Test series in Australia.
India won the last two tour of Australia with an identical scoreline of 2-1. In 2018-19, the Virat Kohli led side won the final and decisive Test in Sydney.
On the other hand, Kohli only played one match of the last tour as Ajinkya Rahane guided the team to victory in his absence.