India-Aus Tests a bit like 'Ashes'; Smith, Warner to make difference: Paine

Under the captaincy of Paine, Australia for the first time in 71 years lost a home Test series against India 1-2 in the 2018-19 bilateral contest

Australia Test skipper Tim Paine has said that he cannot wait to play the four-match Test series against India cricket team later this year, and he also went on to compare the rivalry between both the sides to 'Ashes'.
 
Under the captraincy of Paine, Australia for the first time in 71 years lost a home Test series against India 1-2 in the 2018-19 bilateral contest. However, Smith and Warner were then in the midst of their ball-tampering suspension and the team was in a transition phase.
 
Tim Paine on Team India
 
"It's not so much about looking back or about trying to get them back for what happened last time. It will be a different team they will be coming come up against and no doubt their team will be slightly different as well. It's two high-quality teams," cricket.com.au quoted Paine as saying.
 
"It's a really highly anticipated series purely because of the quality of cricket, not because of what has happened before. India and Australia have a rivalry and it's a series a bit like the Ashes that we're really looking forward to," he added.

 
Paine on Warner, Smith impact on India Test series
 
The experience of 15,000 Test runs between Steve Smith and David Warner will certainly give Australian batting unit a formidable look when they take on India in a four-match series at the end of the year, feels skipper Tim Paine. 
 
In 2019, the duo staged a comeback into the Australian lineup, and the Australian side also has Marnus Labuschagne, who had an impeccable 2019-20 season.
 
"No doubt that we are a better team than we were last time. You put in 14- or 15-thousand Test runs with Steve Smith and David Warner, and Marnus Labuschange has come on in leaps and bounds and is now in the top three or four batsmen in the world himself," Paine said.
 
"You put that amount of runs in a cricket side that last time we didn't have is helpful. This time we'll be a different kettle of fish," he added.
 
Paine on Australia cricket team
 
"You put that amount of runs into a cricket side, last time we didn't have ... we know how good India's bowling line-up is and last time we just weren't quite good enough if we're totally honest against that attack, whereas this time I think we'll be a different kettle of fish. We've got three of the best batsmen in the world in our top six," the captain said.
 
Matthew Wade playing purely as a batsman also is an advantage, opined Paine, who will continue to keep wickets.
 
"Matthew Wade back firing adds a real toughness to it, Travis Head improved a lot since he played India last time. So I think it's going to be an exciting series, there's no doubt about it.
 
"The batting line-ups on show are going to be as good as you will see, it's going to be exciting for fans and it's going to be who handles (the pressure), we know the conditions over here are going to offer the quicks something and I think it's going to be awesome to watch, so I can't wait to play in it," he said.
 
ICC Test Championship points table

Currently, Australia has 296 points in the World Test Championship from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.