When portraits of Virat Kohli beam across billboards and front pages in Australia, you know the Border-
Gavaskar Trophy is around the corner. The tongues are wagging, and the visitors have been served spicy
practice surfaces. Nothing comes easy in Australia, especially for the visitors, as the cricketing world gears up for what many now call the greatest rivalry in modern Test cricket—India vs. Australia.
Yes, the greatest.
‘Greatness’ is a word often tossed around lightly these days, yet its significance here is undeniable. Some may argue for the Ashes, but England’s consistent meek surrenders on Australian shores dilute its value. India and Pakistan haven’t faced each other in a Test for nearly two decades. That leaves us with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Let’s put the claims into perspective.
Since June 2003, Australia have dominated at the top of the ICC Men’s Test Rankings for over 115 months. They continue to sit on the top despite the fading of their golden era and the sandpaper gate. In fact, between 2003 and 2009, Ricky Ponting’s Australia remained at the pinnacle for over six consecutive years. The only side to come close to such sustained dominance was Kohli’s India, ruling the rankings between 2016 and 2020.
Since 2003, India have been at the top of the rankings for a cumulative period of six and a half years. In
the last twenty-one and a half years, Australia and India have dominated the rankings for a combined
sixteen years.
Enough said.
Australia, India and the legacy
Two months after gaining independence, India sailed to Australian shores to face the cricketing giants for the first time. The first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane in November 1947 saw Don Bradman’s Australia
dismantle India by an innings and 226 runs. Bradman’s 185 in the only innings Australia batted dwarfed India’s collective 156 from both innings.
Fast forward to January 2021
A depleted Indian side, ravaged with injuries, played a second-string lineup that stunned a full-strength Australian team at the very same venue. The Gabba, where Australia had remained unbeaten for over three decades, became the stage for one of the most iconic victories in cricketing history.
Four seasons on, Indians are back in Australia.
Trivia: Since their first encounter in the 1947-48 season, India and Australia have faced off in 107 Tests. Australia leads with 45 victories to India’s 32, with one match ending in a thrilling tie.
Since 1996, the bilateral rivalry has been elevated under the name of two batting legends from the respective nations: Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar. Thus began the era of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a symbol of one of cricket’s most fiercely contested series.
Road to Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
India is one side that has consistently challenged Australia’s otherwise unparalleled dominance in Test cricket—often outdoing them in recent times. Since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s inception in 1996, India have retained the silverware eleven times, compared to Australia’s five. Australia haven’t laid hands on the trophy since the 2014-15 series, while India has continued won at home in the 2016-17 and 2022- 23 seasons, and Down Under in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons.
However, when it mattered most, Australia delivered a stinging blow. They defeated India in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final in 2023. Being at the top of the WTC table and ICC Test Ranking, Australia are now comfortably placed to qualify for the 2025 WTC Final.
In contrast, India has faltered, suffering their worst-ever home defeat—a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of New Zealand—squandering a prime opportunity to secure a final berth. The phase marks India’s lowest ebb in Test cricket in recent years.
For the first time, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will feature five Tests, and India faces a daunting task:
And it’s winning at least four matches to secure their spot in next year’s WTC Final. Given the current form of both teams, it’s a challenge bordering on the impossible. But then, India has made the impossible possible before. Who can forget the 2020-21 series in Australia?
A bruised and battered Indian team, written off after being bowled out for 36 in Adelaide, roared back in Melbourne before sealing it in the fortress of Brisbane. The series wasn’t just a victory; it became a part of sporting folklore, earning its place as the ‘Ultimate Test Series.
World Test Championship 2023-25 Form Guide
India
- Lost to New Zealand at home 0-3
- Beat Bangladesh at home 2-0
- Beat England at home 4-1
- Drew in South Africa 1-1
- Won in West Indies 1-0
Australia - Won in New Zealand 2-0
- Drew against West Indies at home 1-1
- Beat Pakistan at home 3-0
- Drew in England 2-2
WTC 2023-25, Points table: Australia 1 (62.5) | India 2 (58.3)
Stakes of the Border-Gavaskar 2024-25
Australia are determined to halt India’s four-series winning streak, including two historic defeats on their home turf. The no.1 Test side, Australia, are also the reigning World Test Champions and sit comfortably atop the WTC points table. Despite their Border-Gavaskar Trophy struggles, they have managed to dominate India in two major finals in 2023.
They clinched the WTC title and the ODI World Cup, cementing their status as champions in Tests and ODIs. India, however, bounced back in the 2024 T20 World Cup, thrashing Australia in the Super Eight stage, knocking them out and eventually lifting the trophy.
Australia may have the upper hand heading into this mega-series, but they cannot afford to breathe easy. India thrives when their backs are against the wall.
This series also marks Australia’s first major assignment in the post-David Warner era. The experiment with Steve Smith as opener will be shelved, with Nathan McSweeney poised for a Test debut.
Cameron Green’s injury is a concern, but with Mitchell Marsh and McSweeney in the mix, Australia has enough all- round options to fill the gap. Considering India’s struggles against the moving ball, Scott Boland might get the nod over Mitchell Starc.
For India, Mohammed Shami’s absence leaves a significant void. His lack of game time post-injury raises questions about his match readiness and international return. Rohit Sharma’s availability in Perth remains
a question mark. Of course, his recent form is a major concern as he was India’s best batter in the past five years. Worries compound with KL Rahul and Kohli’s recent batting woes.
Rohit, Rahul and Kohli average 29.4, 22.7 and 33.4, respectively, in Test cricket in 2024. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill injured his thumb less than a week before the start of the first Test and Rahul his elbow.
The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Akash Deep are embarking on their first tour to Australia and are already being seen as key players for the visitors. India’s hopes rest heavily on Rishabh Pant, Gill and Jasprit Bumrah.
With their chances of a WTC final berth nearly out of reach, a miraculous turnaround and a third consecutive series win in Australia would still be an extraordinary achievement—one that could be etched as one of the greatest chapters in cricketing history.
Squads
Australia (for 1st Test): Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland
India Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Schedule
● Test 1: November 22, Perth
● Test 2 (DN): December 6, Adelaide
● Test 3: December 14, Brisbane
● Test 4: December 26, Melbourne
● Test 5: January 3, Sydney
