Nagpur: The Border Gavaskar Trophy cricket test series between India and Australia is a few hours away. The match will be played at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur on Thursday from 9.30 am.
Australia, led by pacer Pat Cummins, are number one in the Test rankings. Australia’s strength is Marnes Labuschage who is the first in the batsman’s position and Cummins is the first in the bowlers. Team India led by Rohit Sharma is second in the Test standings.
Rohit Sharma, who is in 10th position among the batsmen, and the off-spinner R. is fourth among the bowlers. Ashwin is India’s main hope.
The first Test will be held in Nagpur from 9 to 13. The second Test will start on the 17th in New Delhi. The third Test will start on March 1 in Dharamsala and the fourth in Ahmedabad on March 9.
So far 27 matches have been played in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The Aussies have the upper hand, having won 12 games. India won 10 matches. There were five draws. Former captain Steve Smith scored the most runs against India in the current team. He scored 1742 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 72.58 including eight centuries. The highest score was 192 runs. Former captain Ricky Ponting tops the list with 2555 runs in 29 matches. Former captain Michael Clarke scored 2049 runs in 22 Tests. Former opener Matthew Hayden scored 1888 runs in 18 matches. India have two batsmen who are good run chasers against Australia. Cheteshwar Pujara scored 1893 runs in 20 Tests with five centuries at an average of 54.08. Former captain Virat Kohli scored 1682 runs at an average of 48.05 including seven centuries in 20 Tests. Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar tops the list. Sachin scored 3630 runs at an average of 55 including 11 centuries in 39 Tests. Former VVS middle-order batsman Laxman scored 2434 runs in 29 Tests with six centuries at an average of 49.67. Nilivi team coach and former captain Rahul Dravid scored 2143 runs in 32 Tests at an average of 39.68 including two centuries. Former opener Virender Sehwag also tops the list. Sehwag scored 1738 runs at an average of 41.38 including three centuries in 22 matches. India won the series 2-1 in Australia in 2021. Australia won the series at home in the 2018-19 season 2-1. Australia won the series in India 2-1 in the 2016-17 season. The presence of former captain Virat Kohli, who has returned to form, will add to the excitement of the series.
Kohli, who ended his drought by scoring a century in the last Twenty20 World Cup, hopes to continue his excellence in Tests as well. Australian star Cameron Green is unlikely to play in Nagpur after suffering a finger injury. Green was injured during the Boxing Day Test.
India must win the series to play in the World Test Championship final. If the streak is dropped, the odds fade. Australia, the current number one team, secured the last place. If they win the series against Australia 4-0, India can secure the series without doubt. Even if they win by 3-0, 3-1, India will get the last seat. If you go down 3-0, it will be difficult to play the final. India’s final chances will depend on the Sri Lanka-New Zealand Test series. A win and a draw for New Zealand against Sri Lanka will see India reach the final. Not only the Sri Lanka-New Zealand match but also the result of the West Indies-South Africa match will be crucial for India. If India lose the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2-1, it will be vital for India to win the series or a draw between West Indies and South Africa. Even if the Aussies lose the series, there is little chance of India playing in the World Test Championship final. India have never lost a series on the board. If the series is abandoned, Rohit Sharma may drop from the captaincy.
Team: India – Rohit Sharma (captain), Lokesh Rahul, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, R. Ashwin, Akshar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unathkat, Suryakumar Yadav.
Team: Australia- Pat Cummins (captain), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handskob, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnes Labuschage, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
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March 22, 2023
