‘Being Sri Lankan, hoping Australia can go all the way’: Mahela Jayawardene rooting for visitors to win Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Australia may not have won a Test series in India since 2004, but Sri Lankan cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene believes that Pat Cummins’ side has what it takes to end that streak this time around. In fact, with the result of the series having implications for his own home nation’s chances of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship Final, the former batter is backing the Australians to emerge on top in the tough series, which starts in Nagpur from February 9.
“I think it’s always going to be a great series. I think Indian conditions and how the Australian batsmen tackle that, they do have a really good bowling unit and how do the Indian batsmen tackle that … it depends on how each team starts the series and who’s got that momentum. But it will be fascinating,” he told The ICC Review.
“It’s difficult to predict, but being a Sri Lankan, I’m hoping that Australia can go all the way. Probably a 2-1 win for Australia, but it’s going to be a tough one.”
Australia and India are currently the top two nations in the ICC Men’s Test Rankings. The two teams are also in the reckoning for earning spots in the ICC World Test Championship final in June this year. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have an outside shot at making the cut for the coveted final. They will need the result of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to go their way and will then need to defeat New Zealand in a series.

“I think at the start of the Test Championship, the two-year cycle, Sri Lanka was ranked seventh or eighth in the world. They’ve played some amazing cricket, consent cricket throughout and are right up there having an opportunity to play in that Test Championship (final),” he added.
“New Zealand are a top team and so it’ll be a fascinating series and I hope that Sri Lanka can pull that off. And hopefully Australia can do Sri Lanka a few favours in India, which is also going to be a tough, tough series.”