Gilchrist: Australia will be competitive

Adam Gilchrist believes that Australia will draw on their previous India experiences

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Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist is excited at the prospect of his country's forthcoming four-Test tour of India and believes the series has become "iconic".

Although he admits the Australia team is the most inexperienced it has been in a decade, he has every confidence the players can hold their own in Asia.

In the last few years Justin Langer, Glenn McGrath, Damien Martyn, Jason Gillespie and Gilchrist have retired, while veteran Matthew Hayden is an injury doubt ahead of the India tour.

All-rounder Andrew Symonds has been dropped after opting to go fishing rather than attend a team meeting prior to the recent one-day series against Bangladesh in Darwin, and Australia's lack of experience is not lost on Gilchrist.

"There's no doubt the Australian team is inexperienced in regards to what we have had for the last 10 years," he said.

"We've always had a very experienced team. But that doesn't mean these guys haven't played in these conditions before. Australia has been sending A teams and youth teams over here for a number of years to educate our players on the conditions and the facilities.

"The team will definitely draw on that experience and will be very, very competitive."

Gilchrist said it was shaping up to be a "fantastic series", adding: "It seems like every time the two nations have locked horns in the last 10 to 12 years, it's lived up to what I think has become an iconic series.

"In Australia, everyone knows the focus historically has been the Ashes, but this has grown its own iconic status."