Australia will win Border Gavaskar Trophy if India produce fair pitches, claims former Aussie stumper

India went past Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the ongoing home leg but have their toughest opponents next in the form of Australia as both sides will lock horns in the upcoming edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which gets underway on February 09 in Nagpur. The last three Test series between India and Australia have lived up to expectations -- with a lot of drama and action on and off the 22-yard cricket strip -- and another rollicking series is on the cards between the two heavyweights with the ICC World Test Championship final tickets up for grabs.

Ahead of the marquee series, former Aussie stumper Ian Healy made a glaring claim. He feels if the pitches are fair, Pat Cummins & Co. will win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since early 2017. It is to be noted that the last three editions have gone in favour of India, with them beating Australia twice in a row on their home soil as well.

"I think if they produce fair Indian wickets, that are good batting wickets, to start with, (that) probably spin and spin pretty consistently but spin a long way, late in the match we (Australia) win," Healy said on 'SENQ Breakfast'.

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Healy further pointed out, "I'm worried about (Mitchell) Starc and (Nathan) Lyon in the first Test if they're unfair wickets which I've seen in the last series, where balls were jumping ridiculously and sliding down low from day one, I think India play those conditions better than us." Thus, he cited, "I want the players to be very aware if they are escaping that pressure (from the locals) if you're escaping that pressure and hiding in your room using the golf simulator I think you've got to do something else."

'In Australia, you can create 13 chances and can waste a couple but they don't come along as easy in India'

"That's an escape, you shouldn't be doing it, you're dodging, just be very aware of what you are feeling at any given time. Immerse yourself before you really get to deploy your technique don't drop catches, fielding can be difficult over there.What happens in India, to get ten wickets, you'll only get ten chances, whereas in Australia with bounce, carry and speed you can create 13 chances and you can waste a couple but they don't come along as easy in India. I just think they have to live and breathe that pressure and have a philosophy over there," Healy cautioned Cummins-led Australia.

Australia's last Test series win on Indian soil came in 2004. Thus, Cummins & Co. have a tough ask ahead when they lock horns with Rohit's Team India.

Squads

India (for first two Tests):Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav

Australia:Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Handscomb (wk), Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner