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Ahead of the start of the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, here’s a look at how Indian players have performed in Test matches played so far in Australia.
The Indian men’s cricket team will face Australia in a five-match Test series. The 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to start on Friday (November 22) in Perth, and the next four matches will take place in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, respectively. After winning the last two Test series in Australia, India will be eager to complete the hat-trick this time around, whereas world No. 1 Test team Australia would like to end the decade-long wait for the Test series win over India. The Baggy Greens will start the series as favourites, but they can’t afford to take India lightly.
The BCCI announced a strong 18-member squad for the Test series against Australia, but between those only 10 have played in Australia before.
Here’s a look at how Indian stars have performed in Test matches played on Australian soil:
Rohit Sharma (C): Rohit Sharma will lead India in the Test series against Australia, but he is not available for the first Test due to the birth of his second child. Rohit has played seven Tests in Australia and has 408 runs to his name with the help of three half-centuries. He was part of the Indian teams that won the last two Test series Down Under and played two matches each on both occasions.
Shubman Gill: Shubman made his Test debut for India in Melbourne on December 26, 2020, and has played in a total of three red-ball matches in Australia. The 25-year-old right-handed batter, who is expected to miss the series opener in Perth from Friday (November 22) due to injury, has scored 259 Test runs in Australia at an average of 51.80. In his last innings in Australia (January 18-19, 2021), the right-handed top-order batter scored 91 runs to set the foundation of India’s famous win by three wickets in Brisbane.
Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli has toured Australia four times in the past to play Test matches and is one of the most successful batters there. In 13 matches played so far, the former Indian captain has scored 1352 runs. His batting average in Australia is 54.08, and he has six centuries to his name. During the India tour of Australia in 2014-15, Kohli amassed a total of 692 runs in four matches, and if he manages to deliver like that once again, India will have a high chance of completing the hat-trick of series wins.
KL Rahul: KL Rahul made his Test debut for India during the 2014 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and scored a century (110) in the next match played at Sydney Cricket Ground. The 32-year-old right-handed batter, who is all set to open the innings for India in Perth, has only managed to score 187 runs in nine innings of five Tests played in Australia.
Rishabh Pant (WK): Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has the highest batting average (62.40) among Indians in Test matches played in Australia. In 12 innings of seven matches played so far, the 27-year-old stumper, with the help of one century and two fifties, has scored 624 runs. His career-best Test score of 159 runs was against Australia in the January 2019 Test played at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Ravindra Jadeja: World No. 1 Test all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has played four Tests in Australia, and apart from scoring 175 runs with the bat, he has picked up 14 wickets and completed two catches. The 35-year-old cricketer from Jamnagar will face tough competition from R Ashwin and Washington Sundar for a place in India’s playing XI during the entire series.
Ravichandran Ashwin: R Ashwin is India’s most successful bowler in Test cricket against Australia. In 22 matches played so far, the 38-year-old spinner has dismissed 114 Aussie batters. Of those 114 dismissals, he has picked up 39 in 10 matches played on Australian soil. In addition to his bowling, Ashwin has played a big role with the bat as well in the last two Test series wins Down Under. In 19 innings for India, Ashwin has scored 384 runs and has two half-centuries to his name.
Washington Sundar: Washington Sundar also made his Test debut for India in Australia. He got a chance to play in the 2021 Brisbane Test, which India won by three wickets after chasing down the target of 328 runs in the fourth innings of the match. In his only red-ball match in Australia, Sundar, who is preferred over Axar Patel, scored 62 and 22 runs and picked up 4 (3+1) wickets.
Jasprit Bumrah: India’s premier pacer and stand-in captain for the first Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Jasprit Bumrah has faced Australia seven times in Test cricket, and all those matches were played in Australia. In seven matches, the 30-year-old pacer has picked up 32 wickets. During India’s first ever Test series win in Australia (2018-19), Bumrah finished as joint-leading wicket-taker (21) and in the upcoming series as well, India’s hopes will rely on his performances with the ball.
Mohammed Siraj: In the absence of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj is India’s second experienced pacer for the Test series against Australia. The 30-year-old fast bowler from Hyderabad made his Test debut for India during the last tour Down Under, and in three matches played so far in Australia, he has 13 wickets to his name.
PLAYER | MATCHES | RUNS | BATTING AVERAGE | BEST SCORE | WICKETS | BEST BOWLING FIGURES | CATCHES |
Rohit Sharma | 7 | 408 | 31.38 | 63* | 1 | 1/35 | 8 |
Shubman Gill | 3 | 259 | 51.80 | 91 | – | – | 2 |
Virat Kohli | 13 | 1352 | 54.08 | 169 | – | – | 12 |
KL Rahul | 5 | 187 | 20.77 | 110 | – | – | 2 |
Rishabh Pant | 7 | 624 | 62.40 | 159* | – | – | 28 |
Ravindra Jadeja | 4 | 175 | 43.75 | 81 | 14 | 4/62 | 2 |
Ravichandran Ashwin | 10 | ||||||
Washington Sundar | 1 | ||||||
Jasprit Bumrah | 7 | ||||||
Mohammed Siraj | 3 |
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, and Akash Deep are eight players in India’s squad who will face Australia in Tests for the first time in their careers.
- Location :
Perth (Australia)
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