Travis Head maligns India’s reputation with 'Not My Favourite' salvo, mind games intensify

Australian players, including Travis Head and Mitchell Starc, spoke about the excitement of facing India in the upcoming white-ball series at home. Travis Head mentioned that while India isn’t necessarily a “favorite” opponent in international cricket, the familiarity and his recent form make the contests highly motivating.

Australia will host India for a three-match ODI series starting on October 19 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The second and third ODIs will take place in Adelaide (October 23) and Sydney (October 25).

Following the ODIs, India will also face Australia in a five-match T20I series in preparation for the T20 World Cup.

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I Don't Feel Like They're My Favorite - Travis Head

In a video shared by Star Sports on Instagram, Travis Head described the series between India and Australia as highly competitive. Head expressed his hope to contribute to a successful summer for Australia.

"I don't feel like they're my favorite; I just feel like we play them enough. I guess the last couple of years I've been in nice form, so I guess it's not hard to get up for the contest," Travis Head said.

"It's hugely competitive. I'm looking forward to preparing well and being ready to go, and hopefully I can contribute to what's a successful summer for us," Travis Head added.

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Australia vs India Is Another Opportunity to Grow the Game - Mitchell Marsh

Stand-in skipper Mitchell Marsh highlighted the competitive spirit between Australia and India. He stated that the series motivates players and helps grow the game of cricket beyond India’s fan base.

"I think it's just the cricket that's being played between the two teams. We've won some series, they've won some, and I think that when it's back and forth like that, it builds a strong rivalry within the players," Marsh said.

"There's no hatred, but it's a great on-field rivalry. Both teams want to win. Australia versus India is another opportunity to grow the game of cricket. It's not that cricket needs growing in India, but worldwide, people tune in to these big series," he added.

Rivalry Has Grown from Strength to Strength - Mitchell Starc

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc called the Australia-India contests a rivalry that has strengthened over each series. He noted the teams’ familiarity from frequent encounters across formats and predicted an exciting series.

"A rivalry, if you like, has grown from strength to strength over each series, and whether it's the caliber of fire or the quality of matches that we see as fans and as cricketers, it continues to grow with each series," Starc said.

"Both teams are well-known to one another. We play each other very often across formats, so I'm sure it will be another exciting series, with both experienced sides showcasing some fantastic cricket," he added.

Most of India’s travelling contingent, including support staff, was already in Delhi for the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Players not involved in red-ball cricket, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer, joined the squad ahead of their departure for Australia. The Indian contingent left for Australia from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Wednesday, October 15.

Also read: India's Asia Cup winner breaks down, Australia tour dusted