Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Australia favourites to win 'classic series', says John Buchanan

Former Australia coach John Buchanan on Thursday (August 29) insisted that past results would not really matter when India travel to Australia later this year and India’s chances will depend on how well they will adjust to the conditions.

Pointing out that around the world it is getting difficult for travelling teams to win, the 71-year-old said India would be playing Bangladesh at home before heading to Australia and that would give the hosts an advantage at the start of the series.

“I never give predictions, but I will say Australia is favourite at the start of the series. When you look around world cricket these days, it’s very difficult to tour other countries. One of the reasons for that is that travelling teams no longer have that preparation of playing two-three games before the first Test to get used to conditions,” said Buchanan, who was in Mumbai to launch multi-sports foundation programme ‘Ready Steady Go Kids’ with CP Goenka International School on Thursday in partnership with Sports Gurukul.

Speaking about what to expect from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Buchanan said, “It’s going to be a classic series. Five Tests, which is one more Test than what we had previously. It does make a difference as by the time the teams reach Sydney, they would have played presumably four hard Test matches prior to that in a short period of time. It’s going to test their resolve physically and mentally.

“The teams are pretty evenly matched with strong bowling line-ups. Personally, I still favour the Australian batting line-up a little bit at this point,” said the two-time World Cup-winning cricket coach.

Buchanan's message for ICC

Buchanan also urged the International Cricket Council (ICC), which will be led by BCCI secretary Jay Shah soon, to make ‘good decisions’ for cricket’s long-term future.

Shah, at 35, will become the youngest to take over as the chairman of the global governing body when he takes charge on December 1.

Buchanan, who coached Australia to two separate runs of world record 16 consecutive Test wins and ODI World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007, said the ICC needs to be address the concerns over growing number of T20 leagues. “It's an interesting question. With Jay Shah now being installed at the head of the ICC, it really is important that the ICC makes some very, very good long-term decisions for the game,” Buchanan told PTI when asked if India and Australia will continue to produce Test cricketers of the same caliber they have thus far.

"We see a proliferation of T20 leagues, T10 leagues, (The) Hundreds and so on... the reality is, that is the future of the game. The young children that we're speaking here today will be inspired by and have a real love for playing that short form of the game,” he said.

However, Buchanan underlined the importance of Test cricket.

“The game is built on Test cricket. That's the true fabric of the game. For the ICC to make some good decisions, they have to be very, very mindful of how many leagues they approve and sanction, which means by doing that, it will limit the number of leagues that players are drawn to, for a start,” he said.

Buchanan said the ICC will have to find a way to keep the ODI format relevant since it helps in transition between Tests and T20s.

“Test cricket is really important. We've got the proliferation of the short-format game. We need to keep the transition game, which is the one-day game,” he said.

“It's too difficult for players to be able to play quality cricket with only two formats, meaning a short format and a long format. We need that intervening, that transition format of 50-over cricket." Buchanan said players cannot be blamed for trying to make most of the opportunities.

“You want to be well paid for because you're at the top of your game. Who knows how long they've got injury-wise, selection-wise, age-wise…” he later told reporters.

“They've got to try and exploit that and that's what the leagues are offering at the moment. I don't blame them for that.” Buchanan said he anticipates the Australian Test side to undergo a phase of transition after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year.

“I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of changes in that Australian Test side because most of them are over 30,” he said.