Matthew Hayden says Kohli-Smith will dominate the series

The top two sides, Australia and India are scheduled to play a five-match Test series later this year. It is going to be the first time when these two sides will face off in a 5-match test series. Legends of both sides have their claims about the Border-Gavaskar series, but Australia's great left-handed batter Matthew Hayden believes that Indian classic batter Virat Kohli and Australia's dynamic batter Steve Smith will be desperate to dominate this 5-match test series in which scoring runs will not be easy.

'Kohli-Smith will contribute to deciding the result of the series' Hayden, who is considered one of the best openers of his era, said that both Kohli and Smith like to dominate in their way and both of them will play an important role in deciding how the result of Border-Gavaskar series will turn out in Australia. 

The 52-year-old former opening batter said, cricket is a game of rhythm and I am sure that both these players, who have reached the last phase of their cricket career, will be desperate to dominate this series. This is their nature. They do it in very different ways, in very different styles and certainly, they will be important players in Australia.

Australia and India will begin a five-Test series in Perth for the first time since 1991-92 from November 22 and Hayden said it would be difficult to choose which side will have the upper hand. Both sides have faced each other 107 times in the red-ball format where India won 32 times and Australia clinched victory in 45 matches. Their 29 matches ended in a draw and a match ended in a tie.

Hayden said, "You look at the teams, It's hard to say which team will have the upper hand. I think runs will make the difference. The players who would have been invested in have retired." He further added that the Aussies will be desperate to end the drought of victory against India in the test series.

The current World Test Series champions Australia last won a bilateral Test series in 2014-15. The 36-year-old off-spinner Nathan Lyon is eyeing to dominate young Indian player Yashasvi Jaiswal and Hayden said that this is the right move as this opener is proving to be important for Indian cricket. He also said that Australia will miss the service of opening batter David Warner, who announced his retirement from international cricket in July.