Oz are underdogs going into bangalore Test: Mark Waugh

Former Australian great Mark Waugh believes that the Bangalore Test between Australia and India will be a difficult one for the former as it will go into the contest without a recognised front-line spinner.

Sydney, Oct.8 : Former Australian great Mark Waugh believes that the Bangalore Test between Australia and India will be a difficult one for the former as it will go into the contest without a recognised front-line spinner.

Describing the present antipodean squad as "pretty good", Waugh says in his article for Fox Sports that this Australia side will rely quite heavily on its quick bowlers to get the 20 wickets required to win a Test match.

"Bangalore has helped the quicks in the past, and I believe it's the best ground in India for this type of attack. It's also India's least favourite ground in terms of their recent results. India haven't won there in their past six Tests, while the Baggy Greens have won the past two times they've played there. From that respect, this is the best place for Australia to begin their series," he says.

"Australia start as underdogs, and rightly so, given their lack of experience playing in India. That said, I don't believe this India side is as strong as those we've faced in the past, as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and others are all at the back-end of their careers. The players who are new to Indian conditions will find the physical side of the tour difficult at first. The food can cause quite a few upset stomachs and the heat takes some getting used to," he adds.

"There's no doubt this will be another hard-fought series between the two best sides in the world. Although we'll see plenty of leg-before and bat-pad appeals, I think it will be played in the right spirit," he concludes.

ANI