They are still finding their way. India have got a few good results in the last couple of series (against Australia).
'I think Australia are aware of that. They need to be on top of their game to hold on to their (undefeated) record at home against India,' he said at a press conference here yesterday.
The 40-year-old left-hander, who represented Australia in 96 Tests and 287 ODIs scoring 5570 and and 9619 runs respectively, was of the view that unlike England, pitches in Australia would favour the Indians.
'I think the last two tours when India came to Australia, batsmen had certainly dominated. The Indian batsmen especially have accommodated these conditions very very well. In 1999-2000, when I played first against India in Australia, the conditions were a bit more difficult for them. There was a lot of grass on the wicket and a lot of bounce.
'(However) The general view is that wickets have tamed somewhat and the Indian players - they are world class players - will certainly find ways to score hundreds in those conditions. I wouldn't say there will be dead wickets but maybe not as spicy as it used to be in previous years.
'The English conditions were a difficult challenge. From what I saw, there were pretty tired players in the Indian set-up in England. Hopefully they are fresh when they come to Australia and I am looking forward to that challenge,' he added.
India are slated to play four Tests, beginning 26 December in Melbourne, followed by two T20s and a tri-series tournament also involving Sri Lanka.
Gilchrist, who was here for a promotional event, felt the Indian spin duo of R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha would enjoy bowling in the Australian conditions.
'Ashwin will look forward to bowling in those conditions. He is a tall guy and will try to extract the bounce and Pragyan Ojha, playing alongside him I know, will also be able to spin the ball. They will definitely have a role to play. They may not end up in the wickets column but they will have some contribution to make.'
The southpaw, who redefined the role of a wicket-keeper batsman, heaped praise on Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and said his much-awaited century of centuries was inevitable.
'It is inevitable. It was suppose to happen at Lord's, at the home of cricket, with India playing its hundredth match against England and it was all supposed to synchronise together but it didn't happen. He missed a hundred at his homeground. It is going to happen someday. He is a class act.
'I have been standing behind him for 20 of those (centuries). With every run he scores, he creates a new record. He breaks his own record everyday. He is the best player I have seen and all the cricketing nations will be celebrating and cheering when he scores. It is not just run-scoring but how he has handled himself and has carried the weight of the nation,' he added.
Gilchrist was impressed with the way Indian youngsters, especially Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, were shaping up and added that they could play an important role for the team when the senior cricketers retired.
'I have been nothing but impressed by Virat Kohli. He looks to me like an astonishingly good player. He has an aggressive mindset. He is learning to balance the amazing skill and talent that he has with more composure and understanding of the situation.
'Rohit Sharma is a talented youngster and a terrific person I enjoyed getting to know (while playing for IPL squad Deccan Chargers). He knows he has got more to offer. He has got to give another 10 per cent to make that elevation into Test cricket. They have got the potential but you need to balance it,' he said.
