Ahead of the highly-anticipated Test series against India, Australian star batter Steve Smith has stated that winning a series in India would be a greater achievement than winning the Ashes. The two fierce rivals will face off in a four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series starting on Thursday, February 9.
Smith, who is coming off a phenomenal season in the recently concluded Big Bash League, where he aggregated 346 runs at an average of 86.50 in just five outings, including one half-century and two centuries, believes that winning a Test match in India is a difficult feat, let alone a series. “If we are able to topple that mountain, that would be huge. I think if we can win in India, that would be bigger than an Ashes series,” Smith said in an interview with cricket.com.au.
His teammate David Warner is also fine after recently making headlines with a double-century in Australia’s comprehensive Test win over South Africa in December. However, the upcoming tour of India will be a stern test for the team, as Australia has not won a series in India since the 2004-05 season.
Despite the challenge, both Smith and Warner are excited about the tour and are looking forward to applying themselves against the best spinners in the world. Warner said, “I’m looking forward to the tour, it’s always a hard graft. I’m looking forward to applying myself against the best spinners in the world.”
As the oldest rivalry in cricket between Australia and England, the Ashes is one of the most highly anticipated rivalries in the sport. But with the challenge of playing in India and emerging victorious, the upcoming series against India promises to be a stern test for the Australian team.
