Australia has not lost a Test at the Gabba since 1988.
Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee on Thursday (January 14) said there is a “real possibility” of the injury-hit India beating the hosts at their fortress The Gabba in the fourth and final series decider Test starting Friday, January 15, despite them battling an injury crisis at the moment.
However, Lee also admitted that Team India faces a lack of options to choose for the Brisbane Test as they have already lost Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja and now sweating over the fitness of Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin in the bowling department.
In the batting department, India will also miss Hanuma Vihari and Jadeja’s support at the end with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy decider at The Gabba against Australia.
Despite these, Lee believes that the Indian cricket team enough capable to beat Australia in the fourth and final Test, saying India’s win in Brisbane won’t be a miracle at all.
Lee told Fox Cricket: “I don’t think a win at the Gabba is a miracle (for India), I think it’s a real possibility, especially if Australia is a couple short in their batting line-up. The only thing that’s going to hurt India is their lack of options to choose from. A couple of their gun bowlers are gone, a couple of batsmen are out with injury as well.”
However, the former fast-bowler has also reckoned that if Australia would have Will Pucovski and David Warner at the top of the order, then the hosts will be in a very strong position against India given the fact that their all bowlers are fit and raring to go in the final Test.
But if this is not the case, as Pucovski failed to clear the fitness and has been replaced by Marcus Harris in the Australia XI, Lee feels Tim Paine and his team might struggle and India will definitely come back and will be favorites to win the Brisbane Test this week.
Lee further explained, “The Australian bowlers are all fully fit, so I’m going to tip Australia is going to go well at the Gabba providing we have Pucovski and David Warner at the top of the order.”
He signed off by saying, “If we don’t, then India can definitely come back in and are a chance to beat Australia. Otherwise, we are potentially looking at two different openers at the Gabba. If that’s the case, then I’d have to say the tide turns and India would have to be favorites.”