Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Can India beat Australia?' that was published in Newsband

Can India beat Australia?

There is no difference between the battle for Ashes or contests involving India and Pakistan. That’s what history says. Steve Smith’s men are busy playing and training under the Mumbai sun in their build-up to the four-match Test series at Pune, Bengaluru, Ranchi and Dharamsala.

The games involving India and Australia fascinate the cricket lovers. The contests between the two have mighty individual performances, oscillating fortunes and a fifth-day cracker. Rival skippers Virat Kohli and Smith will walk out for the toss at Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on February 23.

India appears to have an edge in this series simply because India at home is a daunting opposition and also the home team is in fine form. In its last 19 Tests, both home and away, India has remained undefeated, winning 15 of them. Also a resolute captain and a calm coach, in Anil Kumble, have astutely guided the team. The odds favour India, and so does history.

For Australia to dominate it will depend how the team will adapt to sub-continental conditions. Australians will be heavily dependent on players like Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. Another thing that history shows is that surprise is the second skin of tussles involving India and Australia.

Both the teams are in form and have played excellently in the recent past. Hence it will be a close contest and all are interested to be the witnesses to this battle. Both the teams will try very hard to win the test. But since this is home ground for Indian, it appears that they might manage to beat Australia. Indian team is focusing on spinners who are the backbones of Indian team. Both India and Australia are strong and the series is very important for Virat Kohli who will have to prove his mettle as a captain.

The test series will not only decide the supremacy of teams but also individual players. The Indian spinners versus Australian batsmen and Australian pace versus Indian batsmen may be of interest to the audience and viewers of both the countries besides the controversies the players on and off the field will create. And, of course, the money earned by the Board as well as betting mafia will be of interest to many.