Bengaluru, Sep 18 Former Australia cricketer Steve Waugh opined that Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli's performance will be key in India's win in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
The 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy will see India and Australia squaring off in the all-important five-match series at Perth, Adelaide (pink-ball game), Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, respectively. The first Test between India and Australia will be played in Perth from November 22.
"It'll be a good series with two very good teams, equally matched. India has a good chance to win in Australia because they have a very strong bowling attack. With Bumrah, Siraj, and Shami, they have an excellent pace attack, and they also have many good spinners, such as Jadeja, Ashwin, and Kuldeep but the key will be Jasprit Bumrah's performance with the ball and Virat Kohli's performance with the bat. Bumrah is an excellent bowler, the more he takes wickets, the higher the chances of India winning the series gets high," Waugh told IANS.
"We have seen Virat's performance in away conditions. The Indian batting depends on him, so he will be at the helm. However, Australia has a very good team as well, with a strong bowling attack. So, with two high-quality teams, I expect it to be an excellent series," he added.
India enters this year’s series riding high on their dominance in recent Border-Gavaskar contests, having won the last four encounters, including two historic series wins on Australian soil in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
The victories have shifted the balance of power in the rivalry, with India now holding 10 series wins to Australia’s five. Australia’s last series triumph came in 2014-15, while their last victory on Indian soil dates back to 2004- 05.
The upcoming series, which stretches from November 22 to January 7, 2025, will feature iconic Australian venues. After the opener in Perth, the teams will travel to Adelaide Oval for the second Test from December 6 to 10, marking the only day-night Test of the series.
The third Test will take place at Brisbane’s Gabba from December 14 to 18, followed by the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30. The series will conclude with the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7.
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