Amarnath warns India against taking depleted Australia lightly

‘They are in the process of building a new team. But from what I watched in the first Test, some of the players are really good. You can't just rule Australia out of the series. Of course India are more superior but again they have to continue playing good cricket'

Former India all-rounder Mohinder ‘Jimmy’ Amarnath on Wednesday said India are a superior unit but depleted Australia are capable of giving them a run for their money even in the absence of suspended Steve Smith and David Warner. 

"Australian cricketers think differently. It is not the first time they are going through this kind of phase. At the time of Kerry Packer series, they lost their top players, they toured South Africa without their top players and now they don't have their top two players and some of the guys have retired.

"They are in the process of building a new team. But from what I watched in the first Test, some of the players are really good. You can't just rule Australia out of the series. Of course India are more superior but again they have to continue playing good cricket.

"First Test was a fantastic Test match from a cricketing point of view. The only difference was Cheteshwar Pujara. It shows we are here for a thrilling series with advantage India," said the 68-year-old, who played 69 Tests and 85 ODIs.

How will India do in the second Test starting Friday in Perth?

"It depends on nature of wicket. If the wicket is doing a bit, some of the batsmen struggle with their technique. It is not how aggressive you play, the key in Test cricket is that only when you leave good deliveries, you occupy the crease for a long time. It is not that they don't have that in them but they have to adapt."

Amarnath's longtime teammate Syed Kirmani had recently said the current selection panel headed by MSK Prasad was not experienced enough to challenge the decisions of captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri.

The five-member panel is low on international playing experience with chief Prasad having played six Tests and 17 ODIs. The other four -- Sarandeep Singh (2 Tests, 5 ODIs), Devang Gandhi (4 Tests, 3 ODIs), Jatin Paranjpe (4 ODIs) and Gagan Khoda (2 ODIs) -- too do not have enough experience in top-fight.

Amarnath said you have to be an 'achiever' to gain the respect of the players. 

"It is not about experience (as a selector). You are selected to do a job because you are good enough for that. But definitely if you are an achiever you think differently, if you are a non-achiever, definitely you cannot take decisions at times."