Former India seamer Javagal Srinath believes MS Dhoni & co. will have to put up a huge effort to beat Australia in the limited-overs tour Down Under, despite the hosts missing some of their premier bowlers.
Mitchell Starc and retired Mitchell Johnson will not be in the Australian squad for the upcoming ODI series which starts from 12 January, but Srinath does not believe India will have it easy as a result.
"I look at this series as an opportunity. But you just can't depend on good rival players retiring or getting injured to win a series," former India paceman was quoted as saying by The Times of India on Thursday.
Starc is sidelined after he underwent ankle surgery just before Christmas, and could also miss out on the ICC World T20 2016.
With the likes of Starc and Johnson missing from the Aussie bowling lineup, someone will be expected to step up to the occasion. That is the kind of attitude Australian cricketers possess.
"You will still need to play good cricket overall. It could be a case of somebody else chipping in for the Aussies. That is the sporting culture that Australia has to offer," Srinath added.
"You'll see somebody putting his hand up and saying if it is not Starc then it is me. This could bring the best out of them. I don't know if it is right to think that just because the Aussie attack is a bit depleted, hence we have a good chance."
Uncapped Joel Paris and Scott Boland have been picked as Australia look to the future and also as a reward for doing well in domestic cricket this season. Both seamers have impressed the selectors with their performances in the ongoing Big Bash League as well. Kane Richardson, another talented bowler who is in the squad, can also bowl at an average speed of 140-plus and has the knack of picking up wickets at regular intervals.
Josh Hazlewood has done extremely well for Australia in the longest format of the game. As Hazlewood, along with James Faulkner, will be leading the Aussie pace attack during the ODI series against India, it will be interesting to see how they bowl against the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane.
