With Smith and Warner back, India will face tough time in Australia: McGrath

Pace great Glenn McGrath believes that with the explosive duo of David Warner and Steve Smith back in the Australian team, India are in for a tough time during their tour Down Under later this year.

India had registered their first Test series triumph in 71 years in Australia when Virat Kohli and his men won 2-1 in the four-match rubber to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy last year.

"Australia are playing good cricket. Steve Smith and David Warner -- both are playing well and we saw what Warner is capable of in the Australian summer. Having a batsman like Warner back, and a quality batsman like Steve Smith, it's a totally different game," McGrath told reporters here.

The Australian team that Kohli and Co. defeated earlier didn't feature Smith and Warner, who were serving 12-month bans for their respective roles in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town in 2018.

Smith and Warner returned to the national team ahead of last year's World Cup and have looked in good form since then as they helped Australia retain the Ashes against England. India are set to tour Australia later this year for four Tests.

"...it's gonna be tougher for India. That's not to say they they can't perform well. They have got confidence of playing in Australian conditions now and they know how to do it.

"They've done it and they've been successful. So, there's still enough positives there I think it's going to be a really good series for sure," he said.

McGrath also praised India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is set to play in DY Patil T20 tournament after being laid low for five months due to a lower back injury which required surgery.

"I like Hardik, the way he bowls, bats, his attributes. It is handy to have a player like that," he said, drawing comparisons with England's Andrew Flintoff.