The Big Stage has arrived, The Border Gavaskar Trophy

        

All Set for most awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy

We are just few hours far from the start of the BGT, i.e. Border Gavaskar Trophy, one of the toughest series between two heavyweights of International Cricket, India & Australia. The series is starting from 9^th of February on Thursday. It will be a 4 match series, from which the 1^st one to be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association in Nagpur, followed by 3 matches in Delhi, Dharamsala and Ahmedabad.

No Day-Night Test is scheduled for this big series. So all of the 4 tests will be played with Red SG Test Ball. Last time when England toured India in 2021, a pink ball test was played in Ahmedabad. But this time no such plan have made. Both the teams have announced strong squad for this series and already practice are on and each one is ready for the battle. So, we can expect a cracker of series in next one month.

Let us first see both the squads:-

Australia Squad

Usman Khawaja, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith, David Warner, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(WK), Peter Handscomb(WK), Pat Cummins(C), Scott Boland, Josh Hazelwood, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson

 

India Squad for 1^st 2 Tests

Rohit Sharma(C), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul(WK), Srikar Bharat(WK), Ishan Kishan(WK), Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat

 

Building up to the Series:-

Since 2013, India have lost only once in BGT, in 2014-15 series in Australia, where MS Dhoni gave the test captaincy to Virat and retired in between the series. During these years India have won 4 times comparing to once for Aussies. 2013 & 2017 at home, while 2018-19 & 2020-21 at their home. So we can see the clear domination from team India in this battle. And last time when this two sides played in a test match, what was happened, we all know.

India had conquered the fortress of Gabba after getting humiliated in Adelaide and scripted history. Out of the 4 series wins in these year, that was the best one and special one. Because it came after a horrible 36 all out in 1^st game. And with Virat Kohli the Captain returning home due to personal reasons, from that point no one had ever imagined such magnificent turn around by any team.

But that happened by believe of stand in Captain Ajinkya Rahane, the team management and most importantly each and every players in the squad. Due to injuries, even the net bowlers were required to pick in the XI, but they made every opportunity count and did that impossible stuff. India took the series 2-1, after being 1-0 down and the whole world saw the power of young India.

 

Talking Points:-

Ahead of the series, not much but small verbal banters have been started. Particularly Australia’s experts are taking the pitches into considerations and targeting on the point that, India will prepare rank turners to win. And if they prepare true wickets then Australia will win. In replay to that our experts and former players suggested that- we should use the advantage of playing at home and play in spinning tracks.

As we haven’t really got the idea of what kind of pitches will be prepared, but it is sure that spinner will have the huge role to play as usual. The result will depend on, how the batters from both the sides will handle the spin better. As India is playing at home, so, obviously we will have the better idea of surfaces and conditions and that’s why we are having the edge now. But can’t really take this Australian side light.

Not going by stats, only with our memory we can see the dominance level that India have in our home soil. Last time when Australia won test series in India, that was way back in 2004 and after that in 18 years they have only managed to win single game. That came during 2017 BGT at Pune, in opening game of that series. However, they lost that series after that.

Adding to that India have lost only 2 matches in last 10 years at home. No other team even come closer to this kind of consistency. And that’s why Australian team is aware of this fact and preparing for that. They have already said that this is like final frontier and if they possible to win here, this will be bigger than “The Ashes”. For some of their big names like David Warner for example, this might ne the last BGT in India, so they will definitely try to win this time.

 

Injury Issues before the Nagpur Test:-

The preparation are in full mood from both the sides. But few injury problems have affected the process.

For India, it was already in trouble after Rishabh out for 6-8 months after that injury. As we have no established Wicket Keeper other than him in tests, it came as a huge set back for us. Now, India have to choose between Ishan and Bharat, who are yet to make their test debut. Bumrah is already out for long time now and we have no clarity of his availability in last 2 games also. Adding to that, now Shreyas Iyer is also out from 1^st game due to his back issue and India have to push either KL or Gill to that position. Although, Surya is there for that spot, but it is unlikely that management will take that call.

As far as Australia is concerned, their 3 first choice options Starc, Hazelwood and Green all are out of 1^st test due to different injury problems. It was known previously that, Starc will miss the 1^st game and Green won’t be bowling, but now the latest information is Josh Hazelwood is also out from Nagpur test and doubtful for Delhi also and Cameron Green might not play only as a batter. In that case Matt Renshaw might slot in that position and Scott Boland will get a game in absence of their pace duo.

 

Probable Playing 11:-

Australia

Warner, Khawaja, Marnus, Smith, Head, Renshaw, Carey (WK), Agar, Lyon, Cummins(C), Boland

 

India

Rohit(C), Rahul, Pujara, Virat, Gill, Jadeja, Bharat (WK), Ashwin, Axar/Kuldeep, Shami, Siraj

 

Series Prediction:-

There are many cricket experts from Australia and other Country have predicted Australia to win here this time 2-1. But India will be clear favorite for that same score line, told by our experts and from those who knows India’s record at home. Whatever happens after one month from now, but it is 100 percent certain that it will be a cracker of series. Many records will be made and broken and the intensity will be at the peak.