India have every chance of making it a hat-trick: Ravi Shastri backs Rohit Sharma-led team to win Border-Gavaskar trophy

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri feels India has every chance of making it a hat-trick in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series. India has beaten Australia in the last two tours and they will be determined to once again come on top.

India won their maiden Test series on the Australian soil on the 2018-19 tour under the leadership of Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s coaching. Shastri’s team replicated the same success under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane in the previous tour despite losing the opening Test ignominiously.

“The Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia over five Test matches is going to be a humdinger. Remember, India have beaten Australia twice on the last two tours and Australia have not had a hand on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in almost a decade and that’s the reason why everyone will be waiting for these two heavyweights of Test match cricket over the last five to eight years to go head-to-head,” Shastri said on ICC Review.

“It is going to be one heck of a series and India have every chance of making it a hat-trick because they’ve got their bowlers fit and if they can bat well, they can tickle (beat) Australia once again,” he added.

Shastri expects one heck of the series between two red-ball heavyweights and reckons it will be about India’s batting against the Australian fast bowlers. Furthermore, the former all-rounder feels India can replicate their previous tours success as they will have a fit fast bowling unit.

“It’s going to be India’s batting against the Australian fast bowlers,” Shastri suggested.

“And of course, the Indian bowling attack is going to be something everyone will be waiting to see.

“With (Jasprit) Bumrah fit, (Mohammed) Shami fit, you’ve got Mohammed Siraj there. You’ve got the likes of (Ravinchandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja and some very good bench strength as well.

“One can’t wait for that series to start and (I think) India can do the hat-trick (of series victories in Australia).”

The first Test match between India and Australia will be played in Perth from November 22.