The next Border-Gavaskar Trophy series – a Test series between India and Australia – will be held in the 2024/25 summer in Australia, which is about 11 months away from now.
Both teams are in great form. Australia, after losing the Test series in India in March 2023, won the WTC Final defeating India, drew the Ashes in England by 2-2, and smashed Pakistan 3-0 at home. India, in either side of losing, yet reaching the WTC Final, defeated Australia at home and drew 1-1 in South Africa.
India’s Test legacy as the best Test side of the past 8 years would have been cemented had they won at least one of the two WTC Finals. Currently, Australia are the number 1 ranked Test side and India are just behind them.
Talking about the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India have won the last 4 Test series between these two teams – twice at home and twice away. India is the only Asian team ever to win even one Test series in Australia.
Pat Cummins’ Australia need to beat India, at least at home, to be hailed as arguably the greatest Australian Test side. They can do it when Rohit Sharma’s side comes to tour later this year.
3 reasons why Australia can defeat India in the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy series:
Australia’s bowling attack seems better than ever; Indian batters seem losing their touch on challenging tracks
Yes, Australia’s bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Lyon were part of the side that lost the Test series to India twice. However, they seemed to have learned their lessons, as shown by their performances over the past year, led by the inspirational Cummins himself. Cummins is already challenging Glenn McGrath’s numbers with his 258 Test wickets coming at an average of 22.13.
On the other side, India’s batters seems to be getting into a tangle, and indecision on challenging tracks that demand more patience and watertight technique. Rohit and Kohli are both on the wrong side of 30s; Iyer has troubles with short stuff, Gill with the in-nippers, and Jaiswal would be on his maiden Test tour Down Under. India would be hoping that Rishabh Pant is fit for Test cricket by the end of the year.
India remain injury-prone
With so much of cricket including the IPL, India have not once have had all their best and first-choice players available to play since cricket resumed in the pandemic era. Yes, India may have won the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a depleted squad, but a lot of things had to go their way – in terms of luck and some ordinary captaincy from Tim Paine – for India to create that miracle.
India are unlikely to have all their players fit and available for all five Tests in Australia, making it more challenging for the visitors this time.
Steve Smith could turn into a beast as an opener
Barring the WTC Final, India have managed to keep a lid on Steve Smith for the majority of the games over the last four Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. However, now Smith has decided to challenge himself further by taking up the opening role in Test cricket. Expect the man who averages between 55 and 68 from number 3 to 5 and 62 at home to crack the opening role too. India will need to produce a new theory – like they did with the legside theory on the previous trip – to keep Smith in check.
