Australia not as good as it used to be, India have a chance to win, says Azhar

India's stand-in-captain Virat Kohli is facing baptism by fire in the first Test against Australia in Brisbane next month, but former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin feels the result of this one match should not be the basis for passing a judgement on his leadership skills.

"You should not be very judgemental about Kohli for this one Test. Because one should understand that he got the captaincy by default because Dhoni is injured. So I think that we should not judge him on just a single Test. We should leave him alone, let him enjoy and let his bat do the talking," Azharuddin said on Sunday.

Confident of the Indian team's chances in Australia, Azharuddin said the Indian squad looks much better than the hosts and stand a good chance to win the four-match Test series, starting next month.

"I think we have a very good side and I will be very unhappy if they don't win against Australia. I don't think the Australian side is as good as it used to be, say two or three years back. Except for Warner and one or two players, they don't have too many players who can make a difference. India, on the other hand, have a good bunch of players," he said.

Azharuddin, who captained India in a Test series in Australia in the run up to the 1992 World Cup, opined that playing a Test series before the showpiece event is a positive sign for the team.

"You get used to the wickets of Australia, the conditions, so I think it's a good sign. You should take it as a positive and never take it as a negative. It's a good thing that they will get used to the conditions. I think India will get a chance to best utilise the conditions before going into the World Cup," he added
     
Impressed with the Indian bowing attack despite the absence of veteran Zaheer Khan, Azhar said the key to the bowlers doing well on Australian tracks would be "fitness".

"We have a very good attack. They can bowl quick, there are players who can bowl 135-140kph. So I don't see any reason why we should not perform well," the former skipper said.

"Zaheer Khan has not been with the team for almost two years now, so I think they will not miss him. If they keep themselves fit, then they will be really a handful," he added.

Asked if Mahendra Singh Dhoni's performance as captain would be defined by this series, Azhar said it is about the team and not about certain individuals.

"I think it's not the question of Dhoni here. It's the question of the Indian team performing well abroad. We have not been doing well on overseas tours for the last so many years. So I think the performance of the Indian team is more important than any other individual," said the stylish Hyderabadi.

Talking about the one-day format, Azhar said a player like Yusuf Pathan can be a game-changer in limited-overs game if handled well.

Talking about head coach Duncan Fletcher's role in the presence of Team Director Ravi Shastri and Team Manager Arshad Ayub, Azhar said former India players will certainly add to the coach's role by bringing in their experience.

"The role of a coach will never diminish. But Ravi Shastri and Arshad Ayub have played a lot of cricket between themselves. So their experience will really be an add on and the players can always go and talk to them. The coach of course is always there.

"But a player who has played the game over a period of time can offer more than a coach. But having said that the coach's role has its own importance," he said.

He urged the Indian players to get used to the conditions as soon as possible.

"They will have to adapt to the conditions as soon as possible. I think the main word for them would be adaptability," he concluded.