The Indian deputy skipper, Ajinkya Rahane is considering the Australian team as favorites while going into the four-match Test series starting on Thursday in Adelaide. Ever since the announcement of the series, it has been surmised that the visitors have the best chance to defeat Australia Down Under as they will be missing the services of their crucial cogs, Steve Smith And David Warner. The Indian bowling attack is also looking formidable as in the last 8 Tests, they have picked 20 wickets in 8 games.

Talking to the reporters at the Adelaide Oval, Rahane said, “I feel that Australia are still the favorites to win the series. We are not going to take them lightly at all. Yes, they (will) miss Steve Smith and David Warner but I don’t think they are vulnerable. You see their bowling attack, they’ve got a really good bowling attack, and I think to win test matches, you need to have a really good bowling attack. So I feel that Australia are really still the favorites.”

While India’s pace battery is arguably the best it has been for decades in the longest format, during India’s tour to South Africa and England, it was India’s batting that let the team down. Rahane’s form has been part of the problem, as indicated by a Test batting average of 29.66 from 15 innings in 2018.

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Confronting the batting woes, Rahane said that the team needs to consider batting in pairs during the Australia series. He said, “When you do well as a team, you feel really good. This is a team sport … and it is the job of each and every batsman to contribute for the team. And I think it’s important that we get those long partnerships together, in Australia that will really help us a lot.”

This is Rahane’s second Test tour of Australia, after the 2014-15 trip when he scored 399 runs at 47 with a stunning 147 at the MCG as he had a 250+ runs stand with Virat Kohli.

Recalling that knock, Jinx said, “Last time here, we really enjoyed batting together a lot, especially at the MCG. Mitchell Johnson was really going after Virat Kohli and I was at the other end playing my game. Virat at the other end was really aggressive and going after bowlers. I was able to focus on my game, I still attacked but I was completely the opposite to Virat.”