Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Australia is set to play the first Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the team began practicing sessions at Optus Stadium on Wednesday. With both sides vying for a chance in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, the team will have to give their best. Though several Aussie key batters are currently struggling to find form, questions will continue to be asked regarding their ability to face the Indian pace, particularly that of Jasprit Bumrah.
Australian Top-Order Batters Struggle To Find Form
Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, and Marnus Labuschagne were some of Australia’s key top-order batters who struggled to find form in the last few months. Even though the team is performing well in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle, players have not always been consistent.
Steve Smith
The top-order star batter and former skipper of Australia has not had a great time in recent months since the team triumphed in the ICC World Test Championship against India.
| Innings | Runs Scored | Average | Centuries | Fifties | Highest Score | Notable Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 738 | 35.14 | 1 | 4 | 110 | Century against England (Ashes) |
Marnus Labuschagne
The third-best bat, too has under-performed by scoring 653 runs in 12 outings at an average of 29.68.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Average | Centuries | Fifties | Highest Score | Notable Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 653 | 29.68 | 1 | 5 | 111 | Century and five fifties |
Travis Head
Like most batter in the team, Head too has been struggling in his attacking style of play.
| Tests | Innings | Runs Scored | Average | Centuries | Fifties | Highest Score | Recent Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 22 | – | 28.68 | 1 | 3 | 119 | Lack of significant contributions recently |
Alex Carey
The wicketkeeper-batter has been in great form over the last six months or so but has so far failed to back that form up with success in Tests.
Here’s a table summarizing Alex Carey’s recent performances:
| Innings | Runs Scored | Average | Fifties | Best Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 536 | 28.21 | 4 | 98 |
Bright Spots From Khawaja And Marsh
But despite these worries, Australian cricketers have shown some light-on moments.
Usman Khawaja
From the opening slot, he has been one of the few Australian players in good form.
| Games | Runs Scored | Average | Centuries | Fifties | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 943 | 41.00 | 1 | 5 | – |
Mitchell Marsh
Marsh too has been quite good with his hands.
| Matches | Runs Scored | Average | Centuries | Fifties | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 750 | 46.87 | 1 | 6 | – |
Also Read: Mitchell Starc Goes Gaga Over Jasprit Bumrah, Calls Him ‘Best Across All Format’ Bowler
