Australia and India clash over four Tests during the winter and the bookmakers are expecting the sides to be evenly-matched
India are about to undertake the toughest test of all with a four-match Test series in Australia. Much has been made of the ageing stars in the Asians’ line-up, so will they be able to cope or will it be one series too far? (Australia 5/4, India 13/8, draw 3/1
Betfred).
The India top six seems to have included Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman forever, and it would seem strange not to see the star quartet in the line-up.
But father time is catching up with them all and it is only a matter of time before the India selectors will be looking for some long-term replacements for at least three of them.
Sehwag, at 33, has a few years on his illustrious team-mates, but has been plagued by injuries of late and it remains open to question how long he will go on for.
Tendulkar’s workload has been managed sensibly in recent times and the ‘Little Master’ has not played in every series, but he will go on and on until he finally reaches the magic milestone of 100 international centuries.
The 38-year-old’s last Test century was against South Africa in early January, while he scored international hundreds numbers 97, 98 and 99 in the 50-over game this year.
But his last ton came in March and he has been out twice in the 90s since then, with a few notable experts feeling that his quest for the 100th hundred is having an effect on his game.
But he is one of the best ever and it would be a fitting way to reach the landmark against one of the toughest teams in world cricket in their own back yard.
Dravid has been nothing short of sensational in all forms of the game this year and now will concentrate on just the five-day game after hanging up his one-day boots (Dravid 7/2 Top India Batsman 1st Test).
The man they call ‘The Wall’ has been just that in 2011, with five Test centuries, including three against England’s highly-rated attack last summer.
His technique remains superb and there seems no reason to suggest that he will not continue to score runs against Michael Clarke’s men (Australia 5/4, India 11/4, draw 7/4 Match prices 1st Test).
The 38-year-old has only scored two five-day tons against the Baggy Greens, however, and just one in Australia and maybe he will have something to prove on what is bound to be his last trip Down Under.
The final member of the old-timers is VVS Laxman, and he has been a perennial thorn in the Aussies’ side.
The 37-year-old has scored six centuries against Australia, including two doubles, and he clearly loves playing against them.
Four of his hundreds have been in Australia and three in Sydney and he would seem a good bet to be top-scorer when the players arrive at that venue for the second Test on January 2.
Laxman’s 271 against an Aussie attack containing Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie back in 2001 is still talked about, as the Asians scored 657-7 following on to win that game by 171 runs.
That innings gained him respect in Australia and he has never looked back, with success nearly every time he has faced Monday’s opposition.
A few ex-Australia players have been talking up the Aussie stars’ chances and suggesting that the big four are not what they used to be.
Whether or not there is any truth in that will be seen over the next few weeks, with the fearsome foursome set to let their bats do the talking once more.
