BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Saturday (December 28) said beating Australia in their own den will be a stern challenge for Team India next year compared to their 2018-19 triumph when Steve Smith and David Warner were not part of the opposition camp.
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Smith and Warner were serving 12-month bans for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal when India led by Virat Kohli won their first-ever Test series down under.
"I think that's going to be bigger challenge for them (2020 Test series) and I am sure (with) the standards Virat sets for himself and his team, he'll know at the back of his mind that the 2018 Australian team was not the best Australian team of his generation," Ganguly said on India Today's special programme Inspiration.
India's tour of Australia next year will be preceded by the T20 World Cup in the same country from October 18 to November 15.
"And what he's (Kohli) going to face next year in October, which is not far away, it's going to be a different, full strength and strong Australia. They (India) have the team to beat them, they just have to believe and get everything right to beat them.
"So that's what I am looking for, you know when I became captain that was one of my aims, to compete with the best and I remember 2003 in Australia against that Australia, we were outstanding and this team has the potential to do it," he said.
In the absence of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, India under Ganguly’s leadership drew the four-match Test series 1-1 in 2003-04 tour of Australia.
For the next year’s tour, the BCCI chief has high hopes from Kohli and company.
"They have fast bowlers, they have spinners, they have a champion in Virat Kohli, as a batsman it's a new Ajinkya Rahane, which we have seen in the last three, four months and now Rohit Sharma (as opener).
"I am looking forward to his performance, and if India get the order right and the openers, because opening is the most important thing in overseas cricket... so if they can get that right they will be able to beat this Australian team," he added.
India lost Test series in South Africa and England in 2018 but Ganguly expects the team to conquer those two tours in the near future as well.
"I still expect them to win in England and South Africa in Test matches which they need to do to be a good side. They beat Australia in last year (2018) but I still expect them to win in South Africa and England and they are going back to Australia next year," he remarked.
(With PTI inputs)
