Hyderabad: India and Australia are set for yet another exciting edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The first Test of the five-match series will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth from November 22, 2024.
India will miss the services of their regular captain Rohit Sharma in the first Test as he is yet to arrive in Australia. In the absence of Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the Indian cricket team which will prove to be his only second Test as captain.
Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah has discussed India's playing XI and filling in for Rohit Sharma ahead of the start of the crucial Test series against Australia on Friday 👀#AUSvIND | #WTC25https://t.co/Ty5SxlbMU7
— ICC (@ICC) November 21, 2024
Back in 2018-19, India won their maiden Test series on Australian soil under the leadership of Virat Kohli. Then in 2020-21, India again won Down Under, but this time the win was so special. India were in a strong position in the first Test, pink ball Test, having taken a 30+ run lead from the first innings and then they were bowled out for 36. Then skipper Virat Kohli left the squad to see his newborn baby.
Less than a day to go ⏳
— ICC (@ICC) November 21, 2024
Australia and India face off in the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, starting tomorrow 🏆
Who are you cheering for?#WTC25 | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/pQo0YSHvhc
But under Ajinkya Rahane, India came up trumps in Melbourne and Brisbane to win the series 2-1. Rishabh Pant’s heroic knock took the visitors past the finish line at The Gabba without a few key players in the likes of KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. The upcoming series is also expected to be an absolute cracker with both teams looking strong and packed with quality players.
India and Australia are also looking to seal their berth in the final of the World Test Championship. Rohit Sharma’s India will have to win the series 4-0 to directly make an entry in the final and will be desperate to make amends. On the other hand, Australia will look to extend their winning run in Perth after winning all four Tests at the venue and boost their chances to qualify for their second successive WTC final.
Kohli, Ashwin, And Bumrah On Cusp Of Major Milestones
21 - Virat Kohli needs only 21 runs to complete his 2000 Test runs against Australia in Tests. He will become the fifth India to achieve this feat after Tendulkar (3262), VVS Laxman (2434), Rahul Dravid (2143) and Cheteshwar Pujara (2033).
2 - Virat Kohli needs two more hundreds to become the Indian with the most centuries on Australian soil breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record who has tons down under.
350 – Virat Kohli (27,134) needs 350 more runs to become the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket, going past Ricky Ponting (27,483). Sachin Tendulkar (34,357) and Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) are first and second on the list.
1 – Virat Kohli is just one hundred away from becoming the Indian batter with the most Test hundreds in Australia. Kohli is locked on six centuries with Sachin Tendulkar.
444 – Yashasvi Jaiswal requires 444 more runs to become India’s leading run-scorer in a calendar year. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with 1562 runs back in 2010.
15 – Yashasvi Jaiswal needs 15 runs to surpass Gautam Gambhir's 1134 runs and become the Indian left-handed batter with the most Test runs in a calendar year.
4 – Four more sixes and Rohit Sharma will become India’s highest six-hitter in Tests surpassing Virender Sehwag's tally of 91 sixes.
1 – R Ashwin has the chance to be the fastest Indian to 550 Test wickets in 10 innings. Notably, Anil Kumble reached the landmark in 115 Tests.
27 – Jasprit Bumrah is just 20 wickets away from completing 200 Test wickets and become the sixth Indian pacer to reach the landmark. The others are Kapil Dev, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath and Mohammed Shami.
1 – Jasprit Bumrah (40 Tests) has the chance to become the fastest Indian pacer to 200 Test wickets. Kapil Dev holds the record after he got there in his 50th Test back in 1983.
13 – R Ashwin needs to become India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests on Australian soil by overtaking Kapil Dev's 51 scalps from 11 Tests.
10 - India's veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has the most 194 scalps in 40 WTC matches, averaging 21.32 and needs more 10 wickets to become the first bowler to complete 200 wickets in WTC history.
