Australian cricket coach Justin Langer has identified India as Australia’s “most intense rival”.
This comes 24 hours out from the first One Day International at the SCG on Friday.
Langer knows his side will need to bring their A-game to beat the Indians this summer.
“When I first came into the role, a lot of people will remember India beat us for the first time in Australia, in the history of their cricket,” Langer said while speaking to Gerard Whateley on SEN.
“That was a tough, tough summer on the back of South Africa, but we learned great lessons from it. And we know they are probably our most intense rival at the moment.
“They’re lead by Virat Kohli, he’s as good a player as I’ve ever seen, he’s as good a leader as I’ve ever seen.
“I’ve never seen a player with as much energy, apart from Ricky Ponting maybe.
“The energy that he exudes on the field is quite incredible really.
“They’re very well lead, they’re very talented, they’ve just come off the IPL, so they’ve had plenty of white-ball practice.
“They are a tough, tough outfit and we’re going to have to be at our best throughout the white ball games and of course the Test series.
“We’re a different looking team (from the 2018/19 series), we’re two years more experienced as well since last time they were out here, and we’ve been playing some great cricket.
“But we know with India, that we’ll have to be on the top of our game to beat them, that’s for sure.
“You talk to an AFL player who’s lost a premiership or a coach that’s lost a premiership, and every Test series for us is like playing for a premiership, but over a few games.
“So, it’s certainly left some scars, but I always believe that from scars in life, that’s where you do your best learning and best growing.
“We’ve certainly grown as a team, and I love coaching this Australian cricket team, they’re fantastically talented and they’re great young blokes.
“We’ve learnt a lot and we’ve come a long way in two years, and I just really love watching our boys play.”
The series against India begins with the white ball One Day games on Friday, November 27 at the SCG, with the Border-Gavaskar Test series to follow, beginning on December 17 at the Adelaide Oval.
