Former Pakistan cricketer Waqar Younis has said that India won the Test series in Australia last year because the two crucial members Steve Smith and David Warner were missing in Australia’s team. However, he reiterated that he is not taking away credit from dominating India.
The Indian team first time managed to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Australia in 2018. It was a remarkable achievement under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. At that time, ex-captain Smith and Warner were serving their ban period respectively because of the ball-tampering scandal which unfolded during their South Africa tour back in 2018. They were banned for one year each by Cricket Australia (CA).
Australia was under turmoil: Waqar Younis on India’s historic Test series triumph
I am not trying to take away any credit from India: Waqar Younis
Waqar believes that when India won the four-match Test series, Australia was going under a turmoil and there were problems in their dressing room. However, he credited India Virat Kohli-led side played well but insisted the absence of star players did make a difference in the series.
“I am not trying to take away any credit from India, they played well and they are a very good side. But yes at the same time when they won in Australia, there is no doubt that Australian cricket was going through a turmoil and there were problems in their dressing room. And they were without Steve Smith and David Warner,” Waqar said during a video conference.
Well, this year also India will tour Australia to play the Test series in November after the T20 World Cup 2020 which is scheduled in October. And this time, Warner and Smith are back in the team. So, it will be interesting to see whether India will retain the trophy in Australian soil.
But there might be a threat of the cancellation of the series because of the spread of the coronavirus.