The Australian Summer is here again! This means long days, BBQs, cold beverages, kensington pride mangoes and cricket on the TV. When it comes to cricket, the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) is the spiciest ticket in town. An epic clash of titans with Australia & India ranked #1 and #2 in the ICC rankings . Over the years, this series has caught up to the Ashes in terms of rivalry and intensity. How will the test series pan out? Sit back and relax in your armchairs. This is the only definitive guide you will need to read!
CAPTAINS
It is both rare and special to see two great fast bowling captains go head to head. Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah (stand in captain until Rohit returns) will lead their respective sides with distinction. I expect both of them to also have great series as players. This series is expected to be contested fiercely but also with great spirit and friendly banter. This is because many of the players also are Franchise team mates thanks to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
AUSSIES
Australia’s batting is in transition and rebuilding. The Steve Smith opener experiment is officially over. This means that 25 year old Nathan McSweeney will don his first baggy green (#467 for Australia) as opener. Touted as a future leader, he has captained South Australia as well as Australia A and Brisbane Heat. McSweeney would love to achieve a holy grail of a test century on debut. He will be guided by the wise heads of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne & Steve Smith.
The Aussie top order batting is experienced but showing its age. The top order have also lacked a bit of form & consistency so will be very keen to rediscover their mojo. It may well be the last summer for Uzzie so he will be keen to have a swansong. However, the Aussies have a potent counter-attacking middle order with Mitch Marsh, Travis Head and Alex Carey. This trio can take the game away from India if their top order can lay a solid foundation. The man they call “Bison” Mitch Marsh is probably the hardest hitter of the ball in the world. Marsh could go big in this series especially if the pitches are lifeless. Perth, the venue of the first test will also be Marsh’s home ground.
Australia’s bowling on the other hand is very settled and one of the best quartets this country has ever produced. Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon are a world class attack that boasts almost 1500 test wickets. They compliment each other but also hunt well as a pack. Mitchell Starc can be devastating especially when the ball is swinging. Watch out for Starc at the Adelaide pink ball test. Josh Hazlewood is as miserly and metronomic as Glenn McGrath with the ability to suffocates batters like a boa constrictor. Pat Cummins is the complete bowling package brimming with pace, bounce, aggression, seam movement and a very good cricketing brain. Lyon is the finisher and comes into his own during the 4th innings and on wearing pitches. Scott Boland will be the reserve bowler.
They say that bowlers win matches but Australian pitches can also be bowler’s graveyards. Cummins & Co will want to keep the Grim Reaper at bay. To achieve success, Cummins will need to manage his great bowling resources. His captaincy tactics, field settings and bowler rotation have been impressive . Cam Green’s bowling is the only thing that will be missed.
My Aussie XI – Khawaja, McSweeney, Marnus, Smith, Head, Marsh, Carey, Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Hazlewood
INDIANS
India will start the series under strength and also lost their recent home test series to NZ. However, they will take great confidence from the fact they are the current holders of the Border Gavaskar trophy. India broke many records and hoodoos on their last tour, including the Gabbatoir. It was India’s reserves who won them the BGT series last time. They will draw on this for inspiration and this will make them fearless as they start the series under strength.
For India, their regular captain Rohit Sharma is due to miss the start of the series. Mohammed Shami is another significant omission through injury . Gill also picked up an injury which will open a spot for KL Rahul to play. Rahul will partner with Jaiswal who is only 22 but already averages 50+ in test matches. The elegant Padikkal might get a guernsey at first drop. If Padikkal plays, the swashbuckling Sarfaraz who started well during the NZ series but lost his way will miss out. Once Gill & Rohit return, there will be another batting re-shuffle.
I expect India’s talismanic Virat Kohli to silence his critics and find form against Australia. Kohli’s batting has declined the past few years but Australia has his favourite pitches where he averages 54. This series would be a fitting way to crown the end of his test career. Rishabh Pant has also made a successful return from a horrific car crash. He will be back at his cheeky and audacious best. Jurel is a young talented batsmen who did well during the A tour. He deserves to get a spot in the middle order.
Jasprit Bumrah is a special and rare breed of Indian fast bowler. A “once in a generation” talent who is an all format player. Bumrah has played a massive role in India’s winning ways. He is a tough proposition for batsmen to face with his searing pace and accuracy. There is a famous story of a young Jasprit who used to practice his bowling indoors. While his mother was asleep, to prevent her from waking up, he had to minimise the noise. So Jasprit came up with the idea of bowling half volleys at the skirting board. This was where the wall met the floor to suppress the noise. That is how the devastating Bumrah yorker was born!
Mohammed Siraj can bowl all day and has tasted success in Australia. Siraj should take the second pace spot. Harshit Rana has a fiery fast bowler’s temperament that even earned him a couple of IPL suspensions. He would be my pick for 3rd seamer. Ashwin’s height and bounce gets my nod for one offspin spot ahead of Washington Sundar. I would also play Ravindra Jadeja to add balance and left arm orthodox variety. Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Reddy will be India’s reserve bowlers.
My Indian XI – Jaiswal, Rahul, Kohli, Pant, Jurel, Sarfaraz, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bumrah, Harshit, Siraj.
THE BIG GUNS
For such an epic series, I expect the big guns to fire. For Australia that means Steve Smith. If Smudge is the best we have had since Bradman, then he is definitely due for a big knock. Pat Cummins bowling seems to have gone another gear since his captaincy. He will lead by example to lift his side. I also think Nathan Lyon will pick up bags of wickets.
For India, many say he is past his best but I am anticipating the Return of the King. Virat Kohli should return to form with a big bang. Kohli enjoys the ball coming onto the bat so he should thrive on Australia’s hard, dry and bouncy pitches. Rishabh Pant is a match winner who also loves playing in Australia. Finally Jasprit Bumrah rarely bowls a bad ball. I am expecting him to get plenty of wickets.
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Sydney & Brisbane will have traditional pitches. However, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne all have drop in pitches. This allows the grounds to be used for other sports in winter like Australian rules. The drop in pitches have often been blamed for a lack of venom, flatness and benign qualities. Despite this, both teams will push for results.
Australia always use the Kookaburra cricket ball which is partly machine stitched. This is in comparison to the Duke balls which are completely hand stitched and have a more prominent seam. The kookaburra ball offers a bit less to the bowlers as compared to the duke ball. The one exception is if it is a pink ball under lights!
Optus Oval the venue for the first test in Perth is a relatively new cricket stadium replacing the WACA. Optus Oval has a capacity of 61,266. This makes it the second largest cricket ground in Australia after the MCG which can hold 100,024. Adelaide holds 53,500 and will host the day night pink ball test match again. Sydney’s capacity is 48,000 and Brisbane can host 42,000.
SERIES PREDICTION
The Border Gavaskar Trophy will have 5 test matches this time around. This means there will be some rotation of fast bowlers which will test the depths of the reserves. India has the slight edge when it comes to batting especially when they are at full strength. With Shami out, Australia probably has the superior bowling attack. I predict Australia will win the Border Gavaskar Trophy with a 3-2 scoreline. Regardless of the outcome, it will be a thrilling contest, closely fought and a wonderful series. There are bound to be lots of twists and turns and memorable moments. I hope you enjoy the cricket and hope to see you at the Sydney new year’s test match!
TEST SERIES SCHEDULE
- First Test: November 22-26: Perth Stadium, 1.20pm AEDT
- Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (D/N)
- Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane, 11.20am AEDT
- Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT
- Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT
TV & RADIO COVERAGE
You can tune in on TV via Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports, Channel 7 and 7Plus Or you can tune in on Radio – ABC Grandstand, Triple M and SEN
FINALE – AN ODE TO TEST CRICKET
During this crash, bang, wallop age of T20, it is tempting to write test cricket off as a dying species. However, a 5 day test match still remains both enchanting and quirky. Test cricket is the ultimate duel, at times lasting till the final session of the final day. There is no other sport where toss. strategy, weather, pitch conditions and time play such a part in outcomes. There are so many variables and micro decisions. Win the toss and bat or bowl? What would be a healthy total or lead? When should the declaration arrive to allow enough time to win? Whether to attack or to defend based on the match situation? Do you think twice before you enforce the follow-on (Oh Calcutta!).
The advent of T20 has seen test cricket scoring rates increase in tempo leading to more exciting results. The world test championship has also breathed life into dead rubbers. It’s interesting to watch the battle of wits when a great batter is facing a great bowler. Like when a pace bowler is trying to bounce or unsettle a batsman. Or when a spin bowler is trying to outfox a batsman. Or when a batsman is bossing a particular bowler. So while test cricket is a team sport, there are also some fascinating individual battles within the battle. So rather than write test cricket’s eulogy, we should be writing odes. Here’s to the enjoyment, success and longevity of test cricket, the gentleman’s game!
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