Tim Paine, captain of the Australian Test side, has likened the high-stakes matches against India to the legendary Ashes series. He pointed back to India's historic win in Australia during 2018-2019, emphasizing that while that defeat is part of history, the upcoming matches are about competition rather than a quest for vengeance.
Timothy David Paine, the Australian and Test cricket team captain, compares Ashes Series quality matches when faced with the famous rival’s Indian team. Paine also reminded the 2018-2019 Test match win by the Indian team, in the Australian soil, which is also known as history and that the next Test matches with India would not be an act of revenge, said the captain.
According to Paine, India's superior bowling played a huge role in the 2018-2019 series, a time when Australia was struggling without the likes of David Warner and Steve Smith following their ball-tampering bans. Paine believes the dynamic has shifted; with Marnus Labuschagne strengthening the batting order, he expects the year-end series against India to be an absolute cracker.
During the ODI series in early January 2020, Australia took an early lead thanks to a massive performance from Aaron Finch and David Warner, but India's bowlers eventually turned the tide to claim the series victory. Paine admitted that his team lacked the necessary preparation and form during the December 2018 Test series. He concluded that the upcoming matches are a completely different scenario, as Australia now possesses one of the world's best top-six batting lineups to face off against India's elite squad and the lethal bowling of Jasprit Bumrah.