Preview: India vs Australia- Border - Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

 

The battlelines are drawn . The much awaited India vs Australia confrontation now known as the Border- Gavaskar series (BGT)  is right at our doorstep . This series since the one way back in 1991-92 will feature a 5 test series starting with the opening test at the fast & bouncy Optus stadium at Perth followed by the Pink ball test at Adelaide, the 3rd test at Brisbane , the Boxing day test at Melbourne & finally the last test at Sydney .

This test series has created a lot of hype all over the world and specially in the 2 countries India & Australia.  India has last lost a BGT series in 2014-15 in Australia after which they have won the past 4 Ind v Aus confrontations by an identical 2-1 margin twice at home & twice in Australia. (In 2018-19 & the iconic 2020-21) . Under Virat Kohli India for the first time won a test series on Australia soil in 2018-19 which was hugely historic but the series to remember was the last one in Australia that India won as the underdogs against all odds by 2-1 at the Aussie forttress Gabba. Hence the Aussies are now thirsting for revenge after having lost back to back series at home to India. 

Looking at the teams , Australia will be led by Pat Cummins who already is on the way to become one of the most successful Australia captains in modern era having won the WTC championships and the ODI World cup in 2023 , winning the Ashes at home in 2021-22 & retaining the Ashes in England in 2023 . However Cummins himself is well aware that Australia batting has got their own weaknesses currently.  The experiment to open with Steve Smith after Warner's retirement has not worked wonders last season and hence Smith will be back at number 4 with the opening slot now vacant and rookie Nathan McSweeney to take that spot now in the 1st test ahead of the other incumbent , the more senior  Marcus Harris . So McSweeney will partner the consistent Usman Khawaja who has been Australia's best test batter in the last couple of years . 

Marnus Labuschagne and Smith will be the mainstays at 3 & 4 but Aussies will badly miss the services of Cameron Green in this all important series due to a back surgery . Green's fast improving middle order batting , his backup handy fast bowling and his high class slip catching will be missed by Australia.  Green's spot will be filled by Mitchell Marsh who has been doing well in test cricket of late as a batting all rounder . Of course there will be the Indian slayer southpaw Travis Head at 5 who is feared by the opposition as to the way he can take the game away with his aggression . Alex Carey will get the preference to keep wickets ahead of Josh Inglis and then there are the four big bowling guns in Starc , Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon.  And Scott Boland as backup. 

Like India Australia have a few ageing stars in Smith , Khawaja , Starc , Hazlewood and Lyon and soon they will have to find backups who can take over later in a couple of years time . Steve Smith is no longer the same force he was couple of years ago though he still can produce the match turning innings but that aura of  invincibility which he had in the recent past has slowly ebbed away and he has gradually become an lbw candidate  .

Of course the team will bank on Usman Khawaja & Marnus Labuschagne to get the big scores while Smith & Head right behind them but with a new opener at the top & no Green there is a bit of lack of stability in the Aussie batting . The reputed bowling attack still looks good on paper but the bowlers are not getting any younger .

As for India ,  like Australia they are an ageing side & close to transition  & even more so  , their batting lineup looks unsettled , especially after copping a surprise 0-3 test series loss to unfancied New Zealand at home which was a real shocker before coming to Australian shores . With Rohit Sharma unavailable for Perth due to the birth of his second child , fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will lead the team in his 2nd test as captain . The Indian batting will be without Rohit in the first test , not that Rohit himself looked anywhere near his best as a batter in recent tests vs Bangladesh & New Zealand, infact his batting numbers in tests has slumped since the South Africa tour a year back.  Rohit's over eagerness to attack these days & his compulsive hooking & pulling is something that Cummins & Co will try to exploit on big Australian grounds. 

With number 3 Shubman Gill also out with a hand injury for the opening  test , India is also looking for an opener and currently it looks as if KL Rahul who himself had a wretched run as a batter will fill in the spots mainly on strength of his past reputation & experience as opener .

Lot will be expected of young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal who has opened with outstanding results in test cricket . His dazzling strokeplay and his gradually improving  ICC test ranking has made the cricket world  and Australia taking great interest about him . With already a possessor of a great test record  Jaiswal's dazzling strokeplay will be in focus and he needs to be a little more selective in his strokeplay . The charging down towards the pacers wont work in Australia and he needs to employ his horizontal shots very sensibly and and selectively rather than getting into a pattern that can be exploited by the tall Aussie quicks .  

With Gill unavailable for the 1st test it will be Devdutt Paddikal to bat at 3 and he has shown good signs in the India A game vs Australia A recently.  Once Gill comes back , he will fill in the number 3 spot and after a great debut in the last BGT in Australia he will be observed with interest in this series which can be a make or break for him. . 

A lot of attention as usual is on Virat Kohli and this time even more so after his wretched run of form in test cricket as well as overall  international cricket as he is averaging in the 20s this year . However Australia has generally brought the best out of Kohli as he has 100s in 3  out of 4 series he played in Australia.  Hence India will like to bank on Kohli again despite his form issues . Aussie pace battery might again look at Kohli's weakness outside off or even try to bowl short occasionally to restrict him & pin him on the backfoot as he doesnt play the cut.  

Like Kohli , Rishabh Pant has also thrived in Australia in the past and he will be highly banked upon by India . Pant will be the trump card again after his exploits in BGT 2020-21 . Aussies are wary of this Delhi lad who has made a great recovery & comeback after suffering a life threatening accident . 

It is expected that after his stellar performances vs Australia A matches as a batter  , reserve keeper  Dhruv Jurel is likely to play as the batter at number 6 in the 1st test at least . Jurel was in spectacular touch in the games leading upto the first test as his backfoot game looked spot on. 

Bumrah will lead the Indian pace attack in the series and Indian management,  selectors & fans are monitoring Mohammed Shami's progress after his return from injury . Shami had a great comeback first match at Ranji bowling 43 overs and got 7 wickets and also scored a crucial 37 runs and his performance has definitely pleased the Indian group . Shami hopefully will fly off to Australia soon and should be available in the 2nd half of the series as he is still in the process to built his momentum & strength after a 1 year injury layoff .

In Shami's absence it is expected that 2 of Siraj, Akashdeep or Prasidh Krishna will form the pace atttack depending on current form . Siraj has lately not looked at his best and so it remains to be seen whether he will be in the starting linep . India may field batting & seam allrounder Nitish Reddy at Perth on that pacy pitch rather than going with 2 spinners. It is expected that spin all rounder Washington Sundar who has bowled well recently and had a memorable 2021 Gabba Test will be in the starting lineup at least at Perth . Both the ageing spinners  Jadeja and Ashwin will have a bigger role to play as the tour progresses . However Ashwin playing at Perth cannot be ruled out with the pitch providing bounce & Australia has lots of key lefthanders in their batting lineup. 

Hence all things considered it is going to be a thrilling test series between the two fragile batting lineups & stronger bowling attacks . Definitely Australia are favourites at home the recent  past BGT results notwithstanding.  

This series is very important from the WTC 2025 final perspective too as both India & Australia are the top two teams in the ladder followed by Sri Lanka & New Zealand.  The latter two teams are still in the fray and hence both India & Australia will need multiple wins to stay topmost in the race and also hope that other potential teams falter . 

Forecast for the series ? It might be a low scoring one & Australia may win 3-1 .

Players who may shine :  Pat Cummins, Jos Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Jasprit Bumrah , Rishabh Pant , Yashasvi Jaiswal 

The Squads

Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

 

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed