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MELBOURNE : Captain Pat Cummins has hoisted just about every trophy in cricket as part of dominant Australian teams but wants to tick the last box with a test series win against India over the next two months.
The Indian cricket team gears up for the start of the 5-match Test series against Australia, with the first match taking place in Perth, starting Friday. India captain Rohit Sharma is confirmed to not be part of the playing XI, having not reached Australia yet, with vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah taking up his role as the skipper for the match. Though Bumrah refused to delve into any details with regards to playing XI selection, India's practice simulations and media reports do suggest what sort of XI the tourists are likely to go with.
The absence of captain Rohit Sharma and batter Shubman Gill has thrown open a challenge for the Indian team management ahead of the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. India don't just need to find another opener to bat alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal but also a No. 3 batter to replace the injured Gill. While the names of KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal have been reported for the two spots, India's 1983 World Cup-winning star Kirti Azad feels head coach Gautam Gambhir should play Virat Kohli at the No. 3 spot.
Former coach Ravi Shastri prophesized young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and star quick Jasprit Bumrah to be India's key players for the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The hype building around the BGT has been nothing short of surreal. The dwindling form of the Test heavyweights has added an additional layer of spice to the rivalry. With Perth turf expected to remain true to its nature, offering bounce and pace, batters would need to up their ante to put runs on the board.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel has picked young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as the player to "keep an eye" in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The hype around the series between the two Test giants has been sumptuous as the series opener in Perth inches closer with each passing hour. While Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and skipper Rohit Sharma have been tipped to play the deciding role in the series, Morkel threw another name in the fray. "Definitely a guy (Nitish) to keep an eye on in the series," Morkel said during a press conference in Perth before the opening Test on Friday.
Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead the Indian team for only the second time in a Test in the series-opener against Australia in Perth. Bumrah will have his task cut out with India captain Rohit Sharma all but out of the game at the Optus Stadium, which gets underway on Friday. Rohit became a father for the second time last week after his wife gave birth to a baby boy. The veteran batter didn't travel with the team to Australia, and has been practising alone in Mumbai to remain in shape.
The wait is all but over for the India vs Australia series. Come Friday, the rivalry will once again be renewed when the Indian cricket team gets down to defend the Border Gavaskar Trophy. India have been dominating Australia in bilateral series since 2016-17. Since then, India have defeated Australia in 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2022-23. This time, however, things are different. India are reeling from a 3-0 cleansweep by New Zealand in their own den. India's designated captain Rohit Sharma is all but guaranteed to not play the first Test while there are injury concerns about some players.
India will give Shubman Gill every chance to prove his fitness to start the opening test against Australia at Perth Stadium with the batsman showing improvement after fracturing his left thumb, bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Wednesday.