Adelaide: Retiring wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist has rated India as one of Australia's strongest rivals in world cricket, saying the sub-continental team have made life difficult for the world champions in recent years.

Gilchrist, who retires from Test cricket after the fourth and final Test here, said India has the wherewithal to come close to Australia in terms of winning matches. "India are a great side. They had been playing great cricket against us over the recent years. I believe they can match us in winning matches," he said in a television interview recorded before the start of the Test here.

"Everybody chipped in to come up with a great win in Perth. That has been what we had been doing for long. They can do like us," he added. Gilchrist, however, was not forthcoming when asked whether India have become the ultimate competitor and a boogie side as they had stopped Australia from a world record 17th successive win on two occasions.

"That has been what a lot of people have been saying. That (stopping from 17th win) is uncanny, it could be coincidence too. But, in the last few years India had played great cricket against us, in 2001, 2004, particularly 2001, besides this series."

In 2001, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid had fashioned one of the greatest comebacks in Test history to beat Australia in Kolkata to stop the visitors 16-match winning streak in a tour which was described by captain Steve Waugh as looking to cross the "final frontier".

Source : PTI