India is confirmed to tour Australia later this year and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly is excited to see the two giants of the Test cricket battle it out. India had beaten Australia in Australia in the Test series for the first time ever in 2018-19, but Ganguly feels this time it will be different.
Given that Steve Smith and David Warner will be available for the Australian team this time around, Ganguly shared his strong belief in Indian bowling and batting unit and hoped that the batsmen will pile on big runs, something that helped them win in Pakistan, England, and Australia previously.
"It’s going to be a tough series. It’s not going to be what it was in 2018 when they went. It’s going to be a strong Australia but our team is as good. We have the batting, we have the bowling,” Ganguly said.
"Absolutely (hopeful of the team). We just got to bat better. You know the best teams overseas, they bat well. When we were so successful away from home, in England, in Australia, and in Pakistan, we were getting 400, 500, and 600 in Test matches," Sourav Ganguly told Consulting Editor Boria Majumdar on the latest episode of 'India Today Inspiration'.
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Ganguly also had a special message to Indian captain Virat Kohli, who he refers to as ‘chief’.
"I have said that to Virat also. I said ‘chief’, I have tremendous regard for him, tremendous regard for Rohit Sharma and Bumrah as well. I said ‘because you’re Virat Kohli, your standards are high. When you walk to play, when you walk with your team, I, watching on TV, don’t expect you to just play well against Australia. I expect you to win. So for me, that is what it is. Because you have set the standards. It’s not anybody else. So you have to live up to the standards," Sourav Ganguly stated.
Ganguly stated that he has advised Virat Kohli to stay fit and ask his players, especially the pacers to do the same. He also said that he might not be the BCCI President when India tours Australia given the compulsory three-year cooling-off period rule.
"My presidentship tenure, I don’t know whether I will survive by this December or not. But his captaincy tenure is going to be a yardstick. This will be a milestone series. I have been in touch with him, telling him ‘you have got to stay fit. You have got to make sure your best bowlers are ready for the tour and fit. Whether it’s Shami, whether it’s Bumrah, whether it’s Ishant, whether it’s Pandya, they have to be at the top of their match fitness when they land in Australia," Sourav Ganguly concluded.
