“Australia will be too strong on home soil,” says Brett Lee on the Border Gavaskar Trophy

Former Australia speedster Brett Lee believes the Kangaroos will be eager to get revenge for their previous loss to India at home when the latter travel Down Under for a four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year. The games, starting December 3, will be played at the Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the Sydney Cricket Ground respectively.

On the 2018-19 tour, the Indian team lead by Virat Kohli won their first ever Test series win in Australia. However, Australia had fielded a second string team then, and their top two batsmen, David Warner and Steve Smith, were serving a one-year ban due to their involvement in the ball-tampering controversy from March 2018.

But with the duo back in the team, Brett Lee feels Australia will be not be as easy to beat this time around.

"To me, it's one of the best series that you can look forward to. Australian will definitely want revenge but I know that India will come out and play their style of cricket which could definitely put Australia on the ropes. I personally think Australia will be too strong on home soil," Brett Lee told IANS.

Australia will have to put pressure on Kohli, says Brett Lee

However, Brett Lee also spoke about the threat of Virat Kohli, while also advising the Aussie bowlers to keep the Indian captain under check.

"He is obviously a world-class player and Australia will have to make sure they've got clear concise plans to bowl to him. I think if they can put him under pressure early in the series that will allow maybe Australia to go on top of him," Brett Lee said.

Kohli was the third-highest run-scorer on the 2018-19, and with his rival Steve Smith back in the team, the competition promises to be an exciting one.