'India is the hardest place to travel; win in India is bigger than winning Ashes' - Oz cricketers ahead of BGT

India’s run in Tests at home is exceptional – let alone losing a Test match in a series, the Indian team hasn’t lost a Test series at home since losing to England 11 years back in 2012. Australia, considered as the most dominant unit in this game, has had their struggles against India in India. Having last won a Test series in this part of the world almost two decades back, the Oz are now aiming to break the ice in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series, which is scheduled to begin in Nagpur on February 9th.

In a recent video uploaded by the Cricket Australia, the touring side was asked about their opinions on a Test series win in India – to which a few of the star players shared their thoughts. Former captain and arguably the best Test batter now, Steve Smith said winning a Test in India let alone a series is very difficult in itself. He added that a Test series win in India is clearly bigger than winning an away Ashes.

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"It's a difficult place to win... a Test match let alone a Test series. So you know if we're able to topple that mountain that would be huge. I think if we can win India that would be bigger than an Ashes series," Steve Smith said in a video uploaded by cricket.com.au.

Mitchell Starc, on the other hand, said India is hardest place to travel in world cricket, and that, playing a series here would be very special for the group.

Meanwhile, Starc is currently nursing a finger injury he endured during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, and as a result, will miss the first Test. Alongside him, seamer Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Cameron Green will also be out of reckoning for the Nagpur game.

"Playing a series In India would be very special to our group. I think it's always been a bit of a crown jewel for Australian touring teams. It's one of if not the hardest place to play away with such foreign conditions, how strong the Indian team are at the moment as well. For our group particularly the way we sit at the minute and how we are building as a group, learning and adapting and bringing that experience. I think it will be extremely special," Mitchell Starc said.

Australia has won just two Test series in India, once in 1969 and then in 2004. Their last Test win came in Pune 2017 while they lost the series 1-2. During India’s next two visits Down Under in 2018 and 2020, they remained on the top and achieved the unimaginable i.e. winning the Test series on both occasions including winning at their fortress at Gabba in Brisbane the last time around.