Australia are the favourites, but India’s confidence could turn the tables, reckons Wasim Akram

Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram stated that Australia, playing in their home conditions, would be the firm favourites to win the four-match Test series against India. The Tests get underway on Thursday, December 17 after the completion of the three-match ODI and three-match T20I series.

As per the legendary speedster, the Aussies’ pace bowling unit is a lethal one and can give any batting lineup a run for their money. However, the veteran feels that India won’t die wondering as their pace bowling contingent isn’t on the weaker side by any stretch of the imagination.

India’s fast bowling, too, is very good, says Akram

“I think Australia’s contemporary fast bowling unit is the best in the world. They have Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood. All depends on the pitches they [CA] make when India visit Australia [later this month]. When the Kookaburra ball gets old you have to think about how to keep runs down as the wickets are tough to come by,” Akram said in an interview to ‘Cricket Baaz’ on YouTube.

“Now India’s fast bowling, too, is very good. They have (Mohammed) Shami, (Jasprit) Bumrah and others who can clock up to speeds of 145-150 kmph. So, it will be a close contest but I would say Australia being in Australia would be favourites,” he stated.

Apart from Bumrah and Shami, India will also have the likes of Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj in their fast bowling department.

Even as he called Australia as favourites, Akram, Pakistan’s all-time highest wicket-taker at the international level, also said that India’s “new-found” confidence could end up making a big difference.

“However, the Indian team have this new-found confidence, as a team, they have found this confidence. They have a changed body language now [under Virat Kohli’s captaincy]. The way we used to take the ground in the 90s [speaking about his own time in International cricket], Team India does the same now,” Akram added.

Back in 2018-19, India won the Test series 2-1 and Virat Kohli became the first Indian captain to win a Test series on Australian soil. Kohli’s men would start their campaign with the Day-Night Test in Adelaide, followed by the ones in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.