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As India prepares to take on Australia in the highly anticipated 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, all eyes are on whether India can maintain their dominance away from home. With the series set to begin in November, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has made a bold prediction, forecasting a 3-1 victory for India. This confidence stems from India’s recent successes in Australia, where they won the last two editions of the series in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Gavaskar’s prediction isn’t without merit. He highlights the recent retirement of Australian opener David Warner as a significant blow to Australia’s chances. Warner’s absence has left a void in the Australian lineup, with the opening pair of Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith struggling to fill his shoes. Gavaskar believes this weakness could be exploited by India’s formidable bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Additionally, with Australia’s top-order instability, Gavaskar expects India’s bowlers to capitalize and create early breakthroughs that could set the tone for the series.
The series will be played across five iconic venues: Perth, Adelaide (a day-night Test), Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. Gavaskar emphasizes that the first Test will be crucial, particularly as India tends to start slowly in overseas series. However, he remains optimistic that India’s squad, with its mix of experience and youthful energy, can adapt quickly to the conditions.
Key Indian players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will be under the spotlight. Gavaskar points out that these senior batsmen must step up, especially in the absence of Virat Kohli, who may miss parts of the series due to personal commitments. Pujara, known for his marathon innings in Australia, will be expected to anchor the innings, while Rahane, who has previously captained India to victory in Australia, will need to provide stability in the middle order.
On the Australian side, former wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has acknowledged the pressure on Australia to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He stresses that this series is crucial for Australia to prove their dominance at home after a decade of disappointing results against India. Gilchrist believes that despite their recent successes, including a World Test Championship and ODI World Cup victory, Australia’s real test lies in overcoming India’s challenge on home soil. He also notes that the series could go either way, with both teams possessing the firepower to secure the win.
As the series approaches, the mind games have already begun, with both sides confident yet wary of the other’s strengths. India’s fast bowlers will look to exploit Australia’s batting vulnerabilities, while Australia’s spinners, particularly Nathan Lyon, will aim to put pressure on India’s top order.
In summary, the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy promises to be an exciting and closely contested series. With Gavaskar’s bold prediction of a 3-1 win for India and Australia’s determination to reclaim their dominance at home, cricket fans are in for a thrilling battle between two of the world’s top teams.