Without Smith & Warner, India favourites to steamroll Australia: Jeff Thomson

According to Jeff Thompson, in the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner, the Indian team will be the strongest to attain victory in the Test series

At the end of the year, India will tour to Australia. Although India may have lost in the Test series against England, but many veterans believe that Team India can win Test series in Australia this time. Australia's great fast bowler Jeff Thompson has also joined this list, saying that in the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner, the Indian team will be the strongest to attain victory in the Test series.

Former Australia player, who was considered as the fastest bowler in Test cricket history, said that the Australian batting looks weak in the absence of Smith and Warner. Both of these players have been sentenced to 12 months' ban on the charge of ball-tampering in Cape Town, South Africa.

"You (India) have a solid team, a very good fast bowling unit and you should win if you play hard in the upcoming series. There is no reason why you should not steamroll Australia which will be without Smith and Warner. Without these two, the Australian batting line-up is very average," said the 68-year-old Thomson.

Thomson said the ball-tampering controversy had embarrassed the Australian sports fraternity but felt the 12-month ban imposed on Smith and Warner was not justified.

"Banning them for such a long period of 12 months is ridiculous. I heard that the ban was to be for six months but one person (the Australian Prime Minister) who has no business in the issue called up and it was changed to 12 months," he said.