Steve Waugh Reveals His Favourites For India-Australia Test Series

Updated - 17 Feb 2020, 12:24 PM

Steve Waugh. Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters.

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Ahead of this year’s mega showdown between India and Australia, Steve Waugh has predicted the winner of the much-awaited series. India will tour Australia towards the end of the year for a four-match Test series. The Virat Kohli-led side registered a historic triumph when they visited Australia last time in 2018-19 season.

India had also won the home series in 2017. But the upcoming series is going to be much more competitive thanks to the return of Steve Smith and David Warner. Both the players were not a part of the Australian team when India beat them in 2018-19 series. Moreover, Australia are also looking settled as a Test unit after the ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

And as the cricket world eagerly awaits the four-match series, Steve Waugh has said that Australia will be favourite to win. He also spoke about the day-night Test after BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed that India would play one day-night Test in Australia.

“Australia will be favourites because we are playing in Australia and we know the pitch as well. Day-night Test is gonna be something that India will play. I think they have agreed to play that. There are of fact that Virat Kohli taking on that challenge. If you want to be the best side in the World you gonna win away from home as much as you can,” Steve Waugh told ANI.

The former Australia captain further opined on the points distribution system in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship. The system has invited criticism from several quarters. Each series of the championship is worth 120 points, distributed evenly over the number of matches in a series. The points range from 60 points for each match of a two-Test series to 24 for each match of a five-Test series.

“Unless genius comes up with a solution we are going to stick to it. It is so hard to find out a solution that fits correctly. I think right now it is pretty good maybe we can redefine that or tweak that after the first Test Championship,” he said.<

br/>When asked about who do you think will play the final of the Test Championship in 2021, Waugh said:

“I will know a bit more next year when India comes down to Australia. That will be the play between the best Test sides in the World. Australia will be peaking by the time, India have been peaking for last 12 months. So, it is going to be an amazing series.”