Pat Cummins, the captain of the Australian cricket team, has expressed that the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India will be a fiercely contested series, akin to a 50-50 battle, while his teammate Steve Smith eagerly anticipates a thrilling summer of cricket.
In an interview with Star Sports, Cummins reflected on Australia’s recent success in the World Test Championship Final against India, which was played under neutral conditions. “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,” said Cummins. He further acknowledged India’s recent dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, both home and away. “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 added.
The Indian team currently holds the esteemed trophy, having won the last series in both home and away conditions, while Australia’s last victory in the series dates back to the 2014-15 season.
Steve Smith, one of Australia’s key players, also shared his thoughts on the forthcoming series, highlighting the high level of competition both teams provide. “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. They’ve obviously got a terrific side, very well-balanced team, all bases covered.
.”
Smith emphasized the challenge that India poses, especially on home soil where they have been notoriously difficult to beat. “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 to the anticipation, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc compared the significance of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to that of the Ashes series. “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 articulated.
Starc highlighted the increasing intensity and quality of the matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy over the years. “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 eagerly awaited five-Test series is set to commence in Perth on November 22 and will culminate at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3 to January 7. The fixtures in between include a pink-ball Test in Adelaide from December 6, a Test at the Gabba from December 14, and the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
As the two cricketing giants prepare to face off, cricket fans around the world will undoubtedly be treated to a series rich in high-stakes competition, exceptional talent, and the kind of rivalry that has come to define the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The anticipation is palpable, and both teams are gearing up to deliver nothing short of cricketing excellence.