Katich rates India favourite for Test series downunder

Test cricket
India

Former Australia Test stalwart Simon Katich believes India will be favourites to pull off a historic Test series win against Australia later this year.

Katich thinks the number one team in Test cricket, Virat Kohli’s India, will have the chance to win their first ever series in Australia with the hosts depleted by the bans handed down to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

The Australian currently working in India for the IPL said: “India deserve to be favourites given the cricket they have played, the quality in their Test team at the moment and the way Virat Kohli is leading them.

“Certainly it won’t be the best Australian team because then you would have had those three but we would still have a good bowling attack and that the series is being played at home is a positive.”

India

Katich does feel that Australia’s top class fast bowling stocks and the wiles of Nathan Lyon will keep them competitive against a team that showed promise in their series against South Africa earlier this year.

Australia’s batting however has a very thin look to it without number one ranked Test batsman Smith and aggressive opener Warner.

Katich added: “I don’t think it will be a walkover for India because if the wickets suits Australian quicks and Nathan Lyon to an extent, then Australia will have a pretty good advantage in the series. I look forward to a really good series.”

India have a tough away programme ahead of them travelling to England later this year before heading down to Australia in the 2018/2019 season.

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