For, only a few weeks prior to the Black Caps completing the clean-sweep in Mumbai, Rohit Sharma’s team was being spoken about very differently in Australia. In some circles, they were talked up as being indomitable. In others as the team to beat, with many wondering if Pat Cummins’ team would have it in them to set the record straight after 10 long years.
Many Australians were so confident in India’s strength that even after losing the first Test to New Zealand in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz Khan’s leadership in the second innings was seen as a reason to be wary of them.
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However, things took a sudden turn after the defeat. As the much-awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy approaches, Australia’s worry about facing India has shifted to wondering if India can match the determined Australians in the upcoming first Test match.
The current state of Indian cricket appears to be at an intriguing point, as a major transition seems to be on the horizon.
The previous two Test tours to Australia were groundbreaking, with India winning their first ever series in 2018-19 and then displaying the immense depth of Indian cricket by winning the 2020-21 series in a surprising manner. This time, there is increased apprehension towards the end of a very successful period for India against their main rivals, as well as some legendary cricketers retiring.
Match timings: Australia v India, 1st Test, November 22-26, 2024, 10:20 hrs Local Time, 13:20 hrs AEST, 07:50 hrs IST
AUS Playing XI:Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
India Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, R Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammad Siraj/Harshit Rana
