IND vs AUS: My Head Says India, My Heart Says Australia – Shane Warne Predicts The Winner of The Upcoming Test Series

Former Australia cricketer and legend Shane Warne feels that the hosts will win the most awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy series 2-1 against Team India, who will be without their regular captain Virat Kohli after the first Test in Adelaide. Warne pointed out that the current Team India is one of the best teams in the world but Australia will have the edge in home conditions.

Virat Kohli will head back to India after playing the first Test, starting from December 17 in Adelaide. He is heading back to Mumbai to attend the birth of his first child with wife Anushka Sharma in January. Ajinkya Rahane will lead the team in the last three Tests of the 4-Match Test series.

“Who do I think will win? I think Australia will win in these home conditions. My head sort of says India, my heart says Australia. But I think with Virat Kohli playing only that first Test match, Australia might have a bit too much firepower. I will say 2-1 to Australia,” Warne told Sports Tak.

India wrote history by winning their first Test series on Australian soil in the 2018-19 rubber. However, at that time, the two-star players of the Australian sides -David Warner and Steve Smith were not there in the team as they were serving bans for their involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering incident.

“India deserved to win that series a couple of years ago because they were the better team. Virat Kohli, probably the biggest superstar in cricket at the moment, said Test cricket is the most important format of the game,” Shane Warne told Sports Tak.

“Huge congratulations to the BCCI, the way they have stuck to their first-class cricket. Players are actually going back to first-class cricket, they have to make runs, get selected,” Warne said.

“I reckon in the time I played India, it was more ODI cricket, there was no T20 obviously. India has now become one of the best sides in the world if not the best in the Test match arena. I think the IPL has helped.

“All the international fast bowlers coming to play IPL, terrific young batsmen from India facing the quality international fast bowlers. India is producing lots of fast bowlers. I am thoroughly looking for this series,” Warne added.

The most-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy series will kick off on December 17 in Adelaide. The opening Test is a day-night contest and will be played with pink balls. Australia has played seven pink-ball Tests while India has only participated in one.

Following Adelaide, the action will move to Melbourne Cricket Ground, which will continue to host the Boxing Day Test – from December 26. Sydney (from January 7) and Brisbane (from January 15) will host the next two Test matches.