Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins with Border Gavaskar Trophy. (FILE Photo)
India will travel to Australia for the five-match Test series this year. The latter have not beaten the former since the 2014/15 series. (Australia win 2-0). The Men In Blue have won the last two series (2020/21 and 2018/19) against Australia away from home and additionally have also been dominant against them at home (2017 and 2023) beating as many times.
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar predicted India to win the series once again with a scoreline of 3-1. “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. Oh, and my prediction is a 3-1 win for India,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the mid-day.
“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,” reasoned Gavaskar.
Gavaskar would also emphasise that the lack of first-class games ahead of the series might cause India to start slowly yet again. “India being usual slow starters in an overseas series in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, 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,” he wrote.
“That said, it is how schedules are nowadays for most touring sides. It is tough on inexperienced newcomers as Yashasvi Jaiswal found in South Africa last year. He came back brilliantly with over 700 runs against England at home,” Gavaskar wrote.
India for the first time since 1991-92 with the first Test slated to be played at the Perth Stadium from November 22-26. The second Test, a day-night pink-ball affair, will be held in the first week of December at the Adelaide Oval.
The third Test will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane followed by the customary Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26-30, 2024 and will conclude with the fifth Test in Sydney in January 2025.
