It's back again...the two greatest Test sides of the past decade and familiar foes will resume their rivalry with the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the line. Although the Border-Gavaskar Trophy started only in 1996-97, the on-field and off-field events simmering over the years has turned it to the most storied rivalry in recent times. Whether it has surpassed the Ashes or not, remains up for discussion but the world awaits the battle between India and Australia this moment.
Although India suffered an unprecedented series hiding against New Zealand at home, Australia brings plenty of uplifting memories for them. A 70-year-drought ended Down Under in the 2018-19 leg when a well-drilled Indian side got the better of Australia to register their maiden series victory in their backyard. They returned in 2020 and managed to bring Australia down to their knees despite being severely undermanned under trying circumstances and as a result, have held the trophy since the last ten years. But is the injured lot ready to gather the spirit again and topple Australia for the third time in a row? It's the first two Tests that might well decide the fate of the tourists.
#WATCH | Indian Skipper Jasprit Bumrah and Australian Skipper Pat Cummins pose with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, for a photograph in Perth, Australia. India's Test Vice-Captain Jasprit Bumrah is stepping in for Rohit Sharma in his absence.
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2024
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins… pic.twitter.com/nlkdfUfRbq
For Australia, the management and the board will demand nothing less than a series win for the players. Like Team India, Australia also have an ageing side and those who are highly unlikely to get another crack at Team India. As Pat Cummins admitted that a handful of players are quite eager to tick off winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to cement their legacies. If there is a time to win back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for Australia, it is now. Or never.
Squads for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
India squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
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— BCCI (@BCCI) November 21, 2024
Captain Jasprit Bumrah is charged to lead from the front in Perth ⚡️⚡️#TeamIndia | #AUSvIND | @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/0voNU7p014
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.
Australia squad (Only for 1st Test): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
Weather forecast for day 1 in Perth:
According to Accuweather, cloud cover remains at 60% in the morning, while the probability of precipitation remains only at 1%. However, the weather looks to be clear for the remaining part of the day.
When and Where to watch AUS vs IND, 1st Test?
Fans can watch the live telecast of day 1 of The West Test on Star Sports, while the live streaming will be on Disney Hotstar+.