Kolkata: Back in the day, Steve Waugh and Sourav Ganguly were fierce rivals on the pitch and both played mind games to get the edge over the other. They played to win and while Waugh was the epitome of composure, Ganguly was quite the opposite.
The former Australian captain Steve Waugh didn’t agree what to former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly had to say a few days earlier about India white washing the Aussies when they come to play the 4 match test series. Waugh felt it would be “foolish to write off” the visitors and they too pack some aces up their sleeves.
“It will be foolish to write off Australia. I have known this Australian team and they can spring a few surprises. They have some match-winners in the team and I think Sourav is a bit optimistic … anything can happen. “May be he is right, but I will love to challenge Sourav on that part. Certainly, Australia won’t be going to India thinking that they will lose four nil,” said the former Australian captain.
“Everyone’s form overseas has been dismal and there is no reason for that. Neutral umpires, decisions can be reviewed and there is no excuse for this. I really don’t know what the reasons to lose overseas are. May be, it is a mental thing,” said Waugh.
Waugh lavished a lot of praise on the current Indian unit and feels it will take something special to beat the Kohli led squad in their own backyard. “This new team India can achieve anything and Virat Kohli’s leadership has been contagious. India will be hard to beat in India and that has been proved in the last couple of years,” said Waugh. He did say though that it won’t be as easy for India as their series against England and New Zealand where the hosts managed to win comprehensively.
Waugh praised India’s premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and said that his skills with the bat could also come handy in the upcoming series starting on February 23 in Pune.
“Ashwin has done some amazing things and he has been the Don Bradman of bowling. Plus, he has been a handy batsman.
Meanwhile visiting Australian team captain Steve Smith has said that it is upto his players as to whether they want to engage in verbal duels with the Indian players, or not, when the two sides play each other.
“I think each of our individual plays the way they want to play. If they want to get into battle verbally, if they get the best out of them, then I say go for it,” said Smith.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times and PTI)