‘My prediction is 3-1 win for India’: Sunil Gavaskar backs Rohit Sharma-led team to win against Australia

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has backed India to win the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia by 3-1. India has beaten Australia in the last two tours and they will be determined to once again retain the prestigious trophy.

India won their maiden Test series on Australian soil on the 2018-19 tour under the leadership of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s coaching. Shastri’s team replicated the same success under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane in the previous tour despite losing the opening Test at Adelaide ignominiously after being bowled out for 36.

India will be back to their full-strength team and the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Shami will hold the key for the visitors.

Gavaskar feels Australia has opening woes after David Warner’s retirement. Steve Smith has scored 171 runs in four Test matches at an average of 28.50 while opening the innings. 

“With their opening batting problems exacerbated after the retirement of David Warner and the middle-order also a bit dodgy, the Aussies are ripe for the taking once again,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the mid-day.

“India being usual slow starters in an overseas series in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries the first Test will be crucial. That they aren’t playing proper first-class games before that as well as in the week long gaps between some Test matches could work against them,” he wrote.

As the team hardly plays any practice matches before the series due to hectic scheduling, Gavaskar feels rookie players like Yashasvi Jaiswal can find it difficult to hit the ground running.

“That said, it is how schedules are nowadays for most touring sides. It is tough on inexperienced newcomers as Yashasvi Jaiswal found in South Africa last year. He came back brilliantly with over 700 runs against England at home,” Gavaskar wrote.

“It’s going to be an exciting series for sure with the talent that is there on both sides and it will also show why Test match cricket is the ultimate format of our beloved game. Oh, and my prediction is a 3-1 win for India,” he concluded.

The first Test match between India and Australia will be played in Perth from November 22.