The Indian team will not be able to win the Test series in Australia later this year if they fail to get rid of Steve Smith and David Warner early, feels Ian Chappell.

If the much-awaited series happens given that the COVID-19 pandemic subsides by then, the presence of the two run-machines in the Australian team will put the hosts at an advantage, according to the former Aussie skipper.

“I am certainly looking forward to it (the India-Australia series). It will be a very interesting one. India will come with the confidence of having won last time they toured Australia,” Chappell said on the ‘Sony Ten Pit Stop’ show. (via PTI)

“It will be a bit harder this time (for India) with Smith and Warner in the Australian side. But India is well equipped to handle Australian conditions,” he added.

Although India did manage to win their maiden Test series in Australia in their last tour in 2018-19, that time they did not have the services of the Warner-Smith duo as they were serving their bans for the ball-tampering scandal.

“Australia is pretty hard to beat at home and particularly with the attack that they have got at the moment, it is a very, very strong attack. ”

“The batting last time India were here wasn’t so good. If India can keep getting Warner and Smith out cheaply, then India could win. If they don’t get Warner and Smith cheaply, Australia will win,” said Chappell.

The 76-year-old heaped praises on Indian skipper Virat Kohli stating that he is the best in the world in contemporary times when it comes to playing all three formats.

“India has had some pretty good batsmen, but the comment I made was over the three formats. I was basically asked Steve Smith or Virat Kohli and I said – over the three formats, you can’t pick anyone ahead of Kohli.

“I mean his records in all three formats is incredible and how he averages over 50 in T20 cricket, I think it’s a tremendous feat. ”

“So, he (Kohli) in my opinion, if you are taking about all three formats, Kohli is the best batsman at the moment,” said the legendary Australian player.

Chappel added that the of cricket will undoubtedly be different in the post-COVID-19 world but he also suggested that the game is strong enough to survive this tough time.

“It will certainly be different and I am not 100 percent sure in what ways it will be different. But the game continues to evolve and I am sure it is strong enough that it will survive this.

“You would hope that the administrators have taken this time to think about the game and where it’s going to go and where it can improve, so hopefully it might even come back stronger,” added Chappell.