As a member of the newest Australian Test squad to win in India, Brad Hodge is discovering it tough to separate the present crop from that well-known 2004 group.
But the 48-year-old warns that profitable in India will probably be “as tough as it gets” for a facet closing in on cementing its legacy.
The last members of Australia’s Test squad fly out to India on Wednesday, the place 4 Tests in tough circumstances await.
The International Cricket Council ranks Australia as the most effective Test nation on the earth and Pat Cummins’ facet has hardly ever been challenged on residence soil over the last two summers.
Australia received their sequence in Pakistan final yr earlier than drawing in Sri Lanka however triumphing in India would hoist the present group into the pantheon of nice Australian groups.
Since the Nineteen Seventies, just one different Australian facet has claimed a sequence victory in India.
Hodge was a member of that 2004 squad, which additionally featured Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and Test debutant Michael Clarke.
“That was a pretty special team, one of the best that’s ever taken the field for Australia,” Hodge, who didn’t make his Test debut till the summer time after that sequence, informed AAP.
Asked to find out the distinction between the present group and the 2004 facet, he had a easy reply.
“Not a lot,” he mentioned. “They can do it, this current group, they just have to believe and have a little bit of luck.
“But it’ll be a challenge, no doubt about it.
“Whenever you travel offshore, any Test you play is tough. But this is as tough as it gets.”
With his BBL broadcasting duties practically over for one more season, Hodge is spending the remainder of the summer time campaigning for the Cancer Council to encourage Australians to be solar sensible.
He mentioned the one factor separating Australia and India, ranked second by the ICC, was confidence of their spinners.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are established spinners with nearly 150 Tests between them, although the latter remains to be racing the clock to get better from a again damage for the primary Test.
While Nathan Lyon is a lock for choice, there isn’t a clear favorite to companion him if the vacationers wish to take two spinners in.
The remaining frontline tweakers Mitch Swepson, Ashton Agar and uncapped Todd Murphy have performed a mixed whole of 9 Tests.
“They’ve got complete confidence in their spin department,” Hodge mentioned.
“Australia is probably not as confident as where the Indian group are at. Other than that, the teams stack up fairly evenly.
“Our bowling is as good as anyone and our batting has been on fire all summer.
“We’ve got some very good players of spin and we’ll be ultra-competitive. It’s just whether we can last a full tour.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
