'India will arrive in Australia as favourites' – Katich

Simon Katich believes India will start as favourites when they take on a depleted Australian side in an eagerly anticipated Test series at the end of this year.

India have never won a series in Australia in the longest format and succumbed to a 2-0 series loss on their last visit in 2014/15. But with the hosts shorn of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft – who will be serving their bans for ball tampering – the former Australian batsman thinks Virat Kohli's side, who are currently ranked No.1 in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings, will have the edge.

"India deserve to be favourites given the cricket they have played, the quality in their Test team at the moment and the way Virat Kohli is leading them," said Katich, who played 56 Test matches between 2001 and 2010.

"Certainly it won't be the best Australian team because then you would have had those three but we would still have a good bowling attack and that the series is being played at home is a positive."

When Australia prevailed on home soil against India three years ago, between them Smith and Warner hit seven of the eight centuries scored by their team. They will leave a gaping hole in the batting but Katich insisted the strength of the hosts' bowling attack should ensure a competitive series.

"I don't think it will be a walkover for India because if the wickets suits Australian quicks and Nathan Lyon to an extent, then Australia will have a pretty good advantage in the series. I look forward to a really good series."

Before the two sides meet they will both visit England, with Australia playing five ODIs and a T20I in June, and India arriving in July for three T20Is, three ODIs and a five-Test series.