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Border Gavaskar Trophy: What Challenges Will India Face? Key Factors Impacting WTC Final Qualification

After the humiliating white-wash against New Zealand at home, Team India is on a verge to face a tough task to face Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Team India will be defending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and a series in Australia would be very important for them. The stakes would be high in this important series as India would look to retain its proud record and garner important WTC points.

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It will be a defining season for Rohit Sharma’s team, especially beginning November 22 in Perth, after their 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand-they slipped from the top of the WTC table and when Australia rose to first place-and as the race to the WTC Final at Lord’s in 2025 tightens. India will have to tick several boxes before this series begins.

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The Big Two: Form Of Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli

For over a decade, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have formed the backbone of Indian batting; however, form has become a serious cause for worry going into this Perth Test. How both players perform for India in the opening Test in Perth will be watched with rapt attention since they could not be considerable assets for the team in India’s recent home season.

Here’s a table summarizing the performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli:

PlayerRuns ScoredAverageKey Performance Notes
Rohit Sharma13313.30Struggled with consistency
Virat Kohli19221.33Slightly better, but still below par

Hope for India seems to lie in their strong batting performance, and thus, coming back to form for these two key players will be crucial.

Also Read: WI Vs ENG: Keacy Carty and Brandon King’s Centuries Guide West Indies To Stunning 2-1 Series Victory

Selecting Bowling Attack For Perth

Perth’s traditionally fast bowler-friendly pitch has also recently shown numbers that spinners can play a big role here. Nathan Lyon has been Australia’s lead spinner and what the Indians have been confronting in the shape of a multi-talented unit with several quality spinners.

Here’s a table summarizing the key spinner statistics for Perth:

BowlerMatches at PerthWickets TakenAverageKey Performance Notes
Nathan Lyon52718.00Excellent record, strong in Perth
Ravindra JadejaN/AN/AN/APotential selection for spin duties
Ravichandran AshwinN/AN/AN/AExperienced, but less suited for Perth
Washington SundarN/AN/AN/AStrong recent form, could be an option

India will need to evaluate their options based on pitch conditions and opposition, with Lyon’s success at Perth highlighting the importance of spin in the region.

Among Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Washington Sundar, India might have to choose between one of them to lead the spin attack for this crucial role, which very much remains dependent on the conditions and the opposition’s batting line-up.

Consolidating The Batting Line-up

Lately, India’s batting order has been in some flux; players as deep as Sarfaraz Khan have been shuffled around various positions. Lack of clarity in such core positions might eventually affect the stability as a whole. Once a magnificent scorer for India, even in the first Test in which he batted in all three innings. His last three innings were a major derailment for this star batsman with just 10 runs from them.

India will have to discuss this matter and get a more settled approach to their batting lineup before the Perth Test.

The Lead Spinner Drama

India cannot play three spinners, at least not here, in Australia. Picking the right lead spinner thus becomes important right from the start of the series.

Ravindra Jadeja has been in good form in his last two visits to Australia, with an average of 14 wickets at 21.78.

Washington Sundar has done well, especially in the last two Tests, with 16 wickets.

Ravichandran Ashwin has over 500 Test wickets but may not be that effective in Australian conditions in comparison to the other two.

Here’s a table summarizing the spinner options for India ahead of the series in Australia:

BowlerWickets (Last 2 Series in Australia)AverageKey Performance Notes
Ravindra Jadeja1421.78Strong record in Australia, proven effectiveness
Washington Sundar16N/AImpressive recent form, good showing in last two Tests
Ravichandran Ashwin500+N/AVeteran with extensive experience but less suited for Australia

India will have to take a final call, depending upon the pitch and the opposition’s batting line-up, but something as important as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is in question here.

The Mohammed Siraj Enigma

Mohammed Shami is missing out on this series, and India does not know much about their pace line-up. They have Jasprit Bumrah as a sure starter, but questions hover around Mohammed Siraj’s form. Siraj, who had claimed 13 wickets in his first Test series for India in Australia, has picked just six wickets in four Tests on his home ground at an inflated average of 42.33.

If Siraj doesn’t get back to form, India will be tempted to try some of the less-experienced pacers such as Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, or Nitish Reddy; of course, Prasidh has Test cricket experience though he has played in just two Tests.

Here’s a table summarizing the key pace bowling options for India in the absence of Mohammed Shami:

BowlerMatches PlayedWickets TakenAverageKey Performance Notes
Jasprit BumrahN/AN/AN/AGuaranteed starter, India’s top pace bowler
Mohammed Siraj4642.33Struggling for form after strong debut in Australia
Prasidh Krishna2N/AN/ALimited Test experience, but promising potential
Harshit RanaN/AN/AN/AYet to debut, inexperienced at Test level
Nitish ReddyN/AN/AN/AUncapped at Test level, less experience

India’s pace attack will depend on Siraj’s form and the performance of younger, less-experienced bowlers like Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Reddy.

India’s Hopes Heading Into 2025 WTC Final

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy and WTC points are on the line for India when they embark on their series in Australia. From the shape of their star batters to the choice of their spin and pace attacks, every selection will hold enormous importance in their pursuit of a WTC Final at Lord’s.

India will be looking to key players to come good as the series unfolds, and their fate in this World Test Championship or possibly for years to come could be decided by it.

Also Read: ‘Dhruv Jurel Should Replace Him’: KL Rahul Struggles To Perform, Gets Brutally Trolled

HISTORY

Written By

Aditya Mallick


Get Breaking News First and Latest Updates from India and around the world on News24. Follow News24 on Facebook, Twitter.

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