Ai bot
India’s much anticipated tour Down Under begins with the first Test in Perth from November 22, and Rohit Sharma & Co will hope that they not just retain the trophy but also complete a hat-trick of Test series wins on Australian soil.India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on their last two tours of Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
“It’s going to be an exciting series for sure with the talent that is there on both sides and it will also show why Test match cricket is the ultimate format of our beloved game,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day.
“And my prediction is a 3-1 win for India.”
The batting legend felt Australia will be worried about their opening batting combination as the experienced David Warner has retired.
“With their opening batting problems exacerbated after the retirement of David Warner and the middle-order also a bit dodgy, the Aussies are ripe for the taking once again,” wrote Gavaskar.
He also cautioned Rohit Sharma’s team about the importance of a confident start with India being “slow starters” historically outside the subcontinent and the absence of proper practice matches on the tour.
“India being usually slow starters in an overseas series in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries, the first Test will be crucial. That they aren’t playing proper first-class games before that as well as in the week-long gaps between some Test matches could work against them. That said, it is how schedules are nowadays for most touring sides,” he wrote.
Reportedly India are scheduled to play an intra-squad warm-up game at the WACA in Perth from November 15-18 before the first Test beginning November 22. Apart from that the visitors will play a two-day pink-ball warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra before the day-night second Test against the hosts in Adelaide.
Before the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy, India will play five Tests at home, beginning with the two-match series against Bangladesh and three Tests against New Zealand after that.
