Melbourne [Australia], Apr 1 : Australia Test skipper Tim Paine has said that he cannot wait to play the four-match Test series against India later this year, and he also went on to compare the rivalry between both the sides to 'Ashes'.
When India last toured Australia in 2018-19, the visitors managed to script their first-ever Test series win Down Under.
"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.
During the 2018-19 series, Australia was without the services of David Warner and Steve Smith as the duo was facing a one-year ban for their role in the ball-tampering scandal against South Africa.
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.
Currently, Australia has 296 points in the World Test Championship from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.
( With inputs from ANI )
