Adam Gilchrist believes that Australia has what it takes to beat India

The preparations for the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy are in full swing. Team India and Australia are scheduled to meet on February 9 in Nagpur. As the two sides are gearing up for the all-important Test series, former Aussie great Adam Gilchrist shared his opinion on Australia’s chances in the series.

Gilchrist believes that the current Australian team is better positioned than any Australian team since 2004 to defeat India and win the Border Gavaskar Trophy. It is going to be a difficult task, but Australia are currently the No. 1 Test side, and thus the upcoming series between World No. 1 and World No. 2, India, will be worth watching.

“There’s not going to be anything easy, and it’s not going to be a walk in the park, but it is their best chance, and I expect them to do really, really well. The balance of their squad and how experienced the team is now is important,” Gilchrist was quoted as saying by the West Australian.

This group of players has built up that bank of knowledge: Gilchrist

The Australian selection committee is dealing with several issues, as Starc and Hazlewood have been ruled out of the first Test. But amid all the concerns, Gilchrist believes that Australia’s recent outings in the subcontinent should help them prepare for their matches against India.

“They’ve had a number of tours to subcontinental countries to gain and learn from, and that was what held us up in 2004. We were very well planned and prepared due to the experiences we had, both positive and negative, previously in the subcontinent. This group of players has built up that bank of knowledge and the skills that they have, so they have a very good chance of winning,” Gilchrist added.

Australia toured Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2022 as part of their World Test Championship schedule. They were able to eke out a narrow 1-0 series win against Pakistan. They drew 1-1 against Sri Lanka across the two Tests they played.

Team India will be without Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant going into the series, which could make them vulnerable and give the upper hand to Australia. But the hosts will be looking to win the Test series for the fourth time in a row when they kick-start the series on Thursday.