Australia Test captain Tim Paine feels the presence of Steve Smith and David Warner will bolster Australian batting unit when they take on India in a four-match series at the end of the year. Smith and Warner were not a part of the Australia squad when the hosts lost a home Test series against India 1-2 in the 2018-19 tour. Both were serving their respective bans due to their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal.
The 35-year-old Paine feels the experience of 15,000 Test runs between Smith and Warner will give Australia an edge versus India. “This is a different team, no doubt their team will be slightly different as well, but it’s two high quality teams, a really anticipated series purely because of the quality of cricket, not for what’s happened before. India and Australia as a rivalry, it’s a series a bit like the Ashes that we all look forward to,” Paine was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Not only the seasoned duo but the extremely talented Marnus Labuschagne also adds the necessary depth that the batting unit didn’t have last time around.
“I think you put in 15,000 Test runs with two guys alone, Steve Smith and David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne’s come on in leaps and bounds and he’s now a top three or four batsman in the world himself.
“You put that amount of runs into a cricket side, last time we didn’t have … we know how good India’s bowling line-up is and last time we just weren’t quite good enough if we’re totally honest against that attack, whereas this time I think we’ll be a different kettle of fish. We’ve got three of the best batsmen in the world in our top six,” the captain said.
Matthew Wade playing purely as a batsman also is an advantage, opinedd Paine, who will continue to keep wickets.
“Matthew Wade back firing adds a real toughness to it, Travis Head improved a lot since he played India last time. So I think it’s going to be an exciting series, there’s no doubt about it.
“The batting line-ups on show are going to be as good as you will see, it’s going to be exciting for fans and it’s going to be who handles (the pressure), we know the conditions over here are going to offer the quicks something and I think it’s going to be awesome to watch, so I can’t wait to play in it,” he said.