Glenn McGrath urges Aussies to prey on India with mind games ahead of Border-Gavaskar trophy

The Border-Gavaskar series is under a week away, and one of Australia’s greatest ever players is urging the home side to prey on the insecurities of the visitors, and their biggest star.

Cricket legend Glenn McGrath has urged Australia to prey on India’s insecurities ahead of the first Test, declaring that if he was still playing he would “without a doubt” predict a 5-0 whitewash.

Australia’s most prolific Test paceman has also tipped that an “emotional” and “under pressure” Virat Kohli could crumble if he starts the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series slowly.

During his storied career, McGrath made a habit of brash pre-series prognostications, routinely tipping the Aussies to steamroll their opponents while targeting the opposition’s leading batsmen in a bid to get under their skin.

Having made an art form of media quips to unsettle Australia’s foes, McGrath said India was particularly vulnerable following its 3-0 home Test series defeat to New Zealand, adding that he would lean into the situation if he remained a combatant.

Glenn McGrath is backing the Aussies to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Picture: Julian Andrews

“Without a doubt, especially after coming off a 3-0 loss against New Zealand, you’ve got plenty of ammunition to back yourself up,” McGrath told this masthead as he promoted Great Northern’s Long Way for a Beer campaign.

“So put the pressure on them and see if they’re up for it.”

There is perhaps no player under greater scrutiny heading into this series than former Indian skipper and all-time great Kohli, whose Test output has dropped precipitously in recent years and who made just 93 runs across six innings against the Black Caps.

McGrath said Kohli – known to wear his heart on his sleeve – could fall off a cliff completely if he failed when the series begins on Friday at Perth Stadium.

“You look at that series against New Zealand recently, where the three Tests he only made 90 odd runs, his top score was 70. So it was a pretty lean series. He’d be under pressure a little bit. He’s probably feeling it as well.

“So if Australia can start well and bowl well to knock him over the first Test match, that could sort of set up the whole series for us. So I think that’s the first Test is pretty important.”

McGrath conceded however that Kohli could also lift if his back was against the wall.

“If they go hard at him, if he gets in the fight with emotions, there’s a bit of chat out there, who knows he might sort of lift. But I think he’s probably under pressure a little bit, and if he has a couple of low scores to start with, he could really feel it. I think he’s quite an emotional player. When he’s up, he’s up, and when he’s down, he sort of struggles a little bit.”

McGrath hedged his bets on whether Australia should rotate its quicks during the series, having not done so at all last season in which frontline trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc played seven Tests inside three months on the back of a World Cup.

McGrath says Kohli could start to feel the pressure. Picture: David Woodley / AFP

But McGrath agreed that poor finishes to the last two home Test series against India would affect Australia’s thinking as they pondered how to manage the big three pacemen across five Tests inside seven weeks with Scott Boland waiting in the wings.

“Back when I played, back in the dark ages, resting from Test cricket, it wasn’t an option. The players didn’t even consider it. But it’s the way it is these days. So they’ll manage it, and they’ll see how they’re going, as long as they’re up for it,” McGrath said.

“I think the last two series where India has beaten Australia at home, our bowlers, as good as they are, I think should have probably bowled India out.

“So it’s the challenges up there for our quicks now and see how they go. I think a lot of it will depend on how the series is going, how the guys are bowling. If it’s tight going into the third Test, are we going to rest some of our good quicks? So it’s finding that balance.”

Originally published as Glenn McGrath urges Aussies to prey on India with mind games ahead of Border-Gavaskar trophy