The Indian cricket team is currently on a rare 42-day international break, which began earlier this month with the conclusion of the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. However, from September 19 onwards, India have a long Test schedule ahead, which begins with the home series against Bangladesh (two matches) and New Zealand (three matches), eventually leading to the most-anticipated fixture of the calendar year, the Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was among the first to give his predictions on the series, which is still close to four months away, as he reckoned a 3-1 win for Australia. In response, former India head coach Ravi Shastri have a gentle reminder of India's heroics in the 2018/19 and the 2020/21 Test series Down Under. However, Australian great Matthew Hayden refused to pick any sides as he felt that both sides have equal chances to scripting victory.

Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards on Wednesday, Hayden indicated that he would have picked India in the contest had the team had Cheteshwar Pujara in the line-up, who he feels is a "sure-bet batter" like former India cricketers Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. However, BCCI's selection committee have on many occasions through the course of the last 12 months, indicated that they have moved on from senior batters like Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in a bid to give opportunities to younger batters. In fact, he was not named for the upcoming Duleep Trophy tournament as well.

"You look at the lineups, and it's hard to really tell who has the edge. I sense that it's going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference. Guys that are sure bets have retired, like (Cheteshwar) Pujara was a sure bet in Australian conditions," he said.

"Was he exciting? No. Was he effective? Heck, yes. When you look back over the years, guys like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman... they were really sure bets in our market. The best need to stand up in this series, runs are going to be at a premium," he said.

Pujara was the Player of the Series in India's historic 2018/19 series win in Australia, where he scored 521 runs in four Tests at 74.42, with three centuries and a fifty. It was the second-highest run tally by a visiting Indian batter in Australia after Virat Kohli (692 runs in 2014/15) and Dravid (619 runs in 2003/04). Overall, he has scored 993 runs on Australian soil in 11 Tests, which is the fourth-best tally by an Indian batter.

Hayden was Australia to end barren run

Hayden, however, backed the Pat Cummins-led side to end their barren run against India, having last won a bilateral series in 2014-15.

"We haven't had it (the trophy) in our hands for two series in Australia, which is kind of the coveted grounds. Not that's similar to the Steve Waugh era here in 2001, where this was the hallowed turf, this was a place where Australia really wanted to come and win," he said.

"And his great era didn't do it. There's always this fantastic opportunity for the No. 1 (and) No. 2 sides on the World Test Championship to go head to head, especially abroad in each other's camps and see who really has those kinds of final rights...

"...to claim not only the possibility of playing the (World) Test Championship (final) but also who's the very best of the best, which you judge on how you tour, not so much how you play at home," he said.

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