The eagerly awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy is fast approaching, and Australia captain Pat Cummins has expressed his excitement and belief that it’s going to be a fiercely competitive and evenly matched series. Speaking to Star Sports, Cummins stated, “The most recent Test match was, of course, the World Test Championship in neutral conditions, and we came out on top in that match. It’s always fiercely competitive, and it always feels like it’s 50-50. I’m 10 out of 10 excited for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
Cummins acknowledged the intense rivalry between the two cricketing giants and emphasized the need for Australia to make amends for their recent losses. “The last two series here in Australia, we haven’t been successful, so it’s been a long time. Hopefully, it’s time to make amends. You know, we’ve played them plenty of times where they’ve beaten us, but we’ve also had plenty of wins against them as well, which we’ll draw confidence from,” he said.
India currently hold the coveted trophy, having won the last home and away series; their recent dominance has been impressive. Australia last won the prestigious series in 2014-15, making this year’s competition even more significant for them.
Steve Smith, another key player for Australia, shared his thoughts and excitement about the upcoming series. “It’s going to be a great series. You know, India have been playing outstanding cricket. We’ve been playing really good cricket the last couple of years. You know, we haven’t beaten India in the last two times they’ve come out here. Obviously got a terrific side, very well-balanced team, all bases covered,” said Smith.
He added, “So, you know, they’ve played really good cricket out here.
. They’ve played good cricket when we’ve been over in India as well, where we know they’re very, very difficult to beat. So it’s going to be a big summer. It’s going to be an exciting one. And yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
Adding his voice to the anticipation surrounding the series, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc compared the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to the Ashes, highlighting its significance. “For Australian cricket, you’ve got the Ashes and then you’ve got the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in there. I mean there’s a long history in the Ashes but that Border-Gavaskar rivalry, if you like, has just grown from strength to strength over each series and now we see it as a five Test match series which is fantastic for not only the rivalry but for the series as well,” Starc said.
Starc continued to express his views on the growing intensity of the contests, “Whether it’s the calibre of player, the calibre of matches that we see as fans and as cricketers just continues to grow strength on strength each series and now India obviously winning a number of series in a row, it’s created even a bigger rivalry between the two countries. I mean both teams are well known to one another, we play each other very often across the formats so I’m sure it’ll be another exciting series but one I think that both experienced sides will showcase some fantastic cricket.”
The schedule for the five-Test series is set to captivate cricket fans around the globe. The series will start in Perth on November 22 and will conclude at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3 to 7. Between these dates, the historic venues of Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne will also host matches. One of the highlights includes the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, scheduled from December 6, which is expected to draw significant attention.
The Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), commencing on December 26, is another much-anticipated fixture, a traditional event that attracts spectators from all parts of the world.
As the series approaches, both teams are pulling out all the stops in their preparations. Fans are eagerly anticipating the clash between two of the world’s cricketing powerhouses, with hopes that this series will add another thrilling chapter to the rich history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With both teams being well-matched and possessing a deep understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, cricket enthusiasts around the world are poised for an exciting and memorable series.