Not sure Virat Kohli’s Indian side best in last 15 years: Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh, the former Australia captain, has said he is ‘not sure’ of Ravi Shastri’s recent statement that Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team is the best side in the last 15 years.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Waugh said, “I have played against some great Indian sides and I am not sure that the current side is better than the ones we played against. It is probably not a great thing to say as it puts extra pressure on the team. Once they start losing, they will get a lot of criticism for that. Look, it's good that Ravi Shastri believes in his side but comments like these could be kept to himself.”

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Shastri, the coach of the Indian cricket team, had stated before the Oval Test against England in 2018 that Kohli’s side was the best in the last 15-20 years. “I can't see any other Indian team in the last 15-20 years that has had the same run in such a short time, and you have had some great players playing in those series. So, the promise is there, and it's just about getting tougher mentally,” Shastri had said at that time.

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India’s team, under Kohli, has achieved tremendous success at home but struggled on away tours. After losing the Test series 1-2 against South Africa, they lost the ODI series 1-2 to England and the Tests 1-4.

Great chance in Australia

Kohli’s side now embark on a three Twent20 Internationals, four Tests and three ODI-tour of Australia starting on November 21. Waugh said beating Australia in their own den will be hard despite the current side suffering a slump.

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“Australia will be hard to beat in Australia. We have a bowling attack as good as any team in world cricket and we can take wickets. It's our batting if we score 350 runs in first innings, I think we will be very hard to beat. And someone will always come and do well and that's the nature of the sport. I am still pretty confident that we can win in Australia but it's going to be a close series though," Waugh said.

Australia have endured a miserable period in 2018, winning just one Test and suffering losses to South Africa and Pakistan. The team is without the services of their two talismanic batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner, who have been banned by Cricket Australia for one year for their role in the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.

Kohli’s consistency phenomenal

Waugh was full of praise for Kohli’s supreme consistency and compared him with to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara for performing during big moments.

“He is a great player and he loves these big moments. He is like Tendulkar and Lara. They wait for these and that's where they want to show their best. He will be the dangerman straightaway, but they have some pretty good batsmen,” Waugh said.

India have never won a Test series in Australia and this current tour gives Kohli’s side the best chance to break the jinx.