The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be on the line as India and Australia clash in a 4 Test match series starting February 9 in Nagpur. The second Test will be played in Delhi, followed by the third Test in Dharamsala before the series concludes in Ahmedabad.
India are the current holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy; India won the last three Test series against Australia
There is also a place in the WTC final at stake as well as the top ICC ranking Test team spot on the line.
Despite missing the likes of Bumrah and Pant, India will, without a doubt, start as favorites at their home where they haven’t lost a Test series for 10 years.
IND vs AUS Test series: Here are 3 Indians who could bag the Player of the Series award:
Ravichandran Ashwin
Australia have as many as 4 left-handers in their top 6, and could be 5 if Matt Renshaw plays too. And there has perhaps not been a greater threat to left-handers on spinning pitches than R Ashwin, who’d be licking his fingers, and will be excited to bowl on the expected dustbowls, especially in Nagpur, Delhi, and Ahmedabad.
He had already tormented the Australian batters on the last two home series. In 2013 and 2017 series, in 8 Tests, Ashwin took 50 wickets at an average of 23 with 5 five-wicket hauls, and was the Player of the Series in 2013. Ashwin wouldn’t mind bagging that award and similar figures this time.
Shubman Gill
There is perhaps no batsman in more form and confidence than Shubman Gill. The 23-year-old has turned a corner in his career in the past year.
Having played a great hand in India’s historic Gabba win two years ago, Shubman Gill recently cracked his maiden Test ton, in trying conditions in Bangladesh, before cementing his place in white-ball teams with bumper series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Gill’s confidence will be sky-high with his recent exploits. But he may have to slot down at number 5 with KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma back and Shreyas Iyer injured for the first Test. Even if Iyer was fit, Gill has made such a strong case that there is a chance he could replace KL Rahul as the opener if the senior batter doesn’t fire. It’d be difficult to drop Gill from the XI if he performs well in Nagpur.
The 2021 series in Australia was Gill’s introduction to Test cricket. This 2023 series against the same opposition could well be his coming-of-age series in Tests.
Cheteshwar Pujara
He grinds, grinds hard, and grinds the opposition to the ground. Cheteshwar Pujara is once again set to be the force standing between the Australian bowlers and victory for the Aussies.
Pujara had made his Test debut in 2010 against Australia and hit a fifty. Since then, he’s made Australia his favorite opposition.
Against Australia, Cheteshwar Pujara averages 54 in 20 Test matches, with 5 centuries and 10 half-centuries
In the 2013 series, Pujara hit a double century. In 2017, he hit another double century, along with a 92. Then what happened on the two tours to Australia is in memory of most as Pujara played the major role in India’s historic twin series triumphs Down Under, bagging the Player of the Series award on the 2018/19 tour.
Now, in 2023, in what could well be the last home series against Australia for the 35-year-old Pujara, he’d want to once again come out on top of the Aussies.
