Steve Smith is looking forward to India’s tour of Australia later in the year, saying he can’t wait to play in the much-anticipated series which will be “incredibly special”.

India will tour Australia for three ODIs, four Tests and three T20Is between October and January 2021.

“India are an amazing side and I can’t wait to play them when they come out to Australia this year. It will be something incredibly special,” Smith was quoted as saying on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected.

India’s tour is scheduled to begin with a T20 International on October 11 in Brisbane. The other two T20Is will be played on October 14 (Canberra) and October 17 (Adelaide).

The four-match Test series begins on December 3 in Brisbane. India are then scheduled to play a Day-Night pink-ball Test from December 11 to 15 in Adelaide.

The third and fourth Tests will be held in Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3 to 7 next year).

The ODI series is scheduled to begin on January 12 in Perth, followed by matches on January 15 (Melbourne) and January 17 (Sydney).

Smith also spoke about his friendship with India captain Virat Kohli, calling him a “terrific guy”.

“I had a few conversations with him (Virat) off the field, a few messages here and there in recent times just to see how things are going in India.

“He is a terrific guy and we both play hard out there on the field and play as well for our respective teams, and it’s part of the game,” said the former Australia skipper.

During last year’s World Cup in the United Kingdom, Kohli had asked the Indian fans at The Oval to applaud Smith and not boo him during the league phase clash versus Australia, a gesture which earned the Indian captain the prestigious ICC Spirit of Cricket award.

Recalling the incident, Smith said he truly appreciated Kohli’s gesture.

“Virat’s gesture in the World Cup to the Indian fans that were giving me (Smith) and David Warner a little bit of a stick, I appreciated that and I shared that with him straight up,” Smith said.

“He is a terrific guy and the way he has led the Indian team has been amazing.”

Smith and Warner faced the wrath of fans worldwide for their respective roles in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket in 2018. The duo were banned for a year by Cricket Australia for the incident.