Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels Australia will “quite easily” win the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India as talismanic batsman Virat Kohli will not be there for the final three matches of the four-Test series.
Kohli’s wife, actor Anushka Sharma, is due for delivery in January and the batting mainstay had asked for leave from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). And on Monday, the BCCI announced that the skipper has been granted paternity leave and that he will return to India after the conclusion of the first Test against Australia to be played at the Adelaide Oval from December 17.
“No Virat Kohli for three Tests in Australia…The right decision going to be at the birth of his first child…but it means Australia will win the series quite easily IMO .. #JustSaying,” Vaughan said in a tweet.
Kohli will, however, feature in three ODIs and as many T20Is which will be played before the first Test — a pink-ball fixture — of which the Indian skipper will be a part of.
The tour will commence with the three ODIs at the Sydney Cricket Ground (November 27, 29) and Manuka Oval, Canberra (December 2). That will be followed by the three-match T20I series at Manuka Oval, Canberra (December 4) and the SCG (December 6, 8).
Team India will then begin the title defence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the pink-ball Test in Adelaide from December 17. It will be followed by Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26), the SCG (January 7) and the Gabba (January 15).
–IANS
