"Jasprit Bumrah And...": Ravi Shastri Picks 2 Key Players For India In Australia Tests. Not Virat Kohli

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.

Under such gruelling conditions, Shastri advocated for Jaiswal to shine against Australia's fierce bowling line-up. For Shastri, the southpaw's back-to-back double hundreds, 209 and 214* against England in Vizag and Rajkot, reflect his hunger for scoring runs.

"Jaiswal at the top because if he gets in, he can be devastating. You know he plays spin very well, he plays at his own tempo, he's got all the shots in the book," Shastri said in the ICC Review.

"He's an entertainer, so if he gets in as we've seen in his career already, you know he has the ability to get the big scores. You don't hit two consecutive double hundreds, you know, just like that, you've got to have the hunger, you have to have the quality and the ability," Shastri noted.

The second Indian that Shastri rooted to raise the bar is Jasprit Bumrah. With a unique action to produce thunderbolts in Australia, Bumrah will lead India in designated skipper Rohit Sharma's absence.

With bowling coach Morne Morkel branded the A-lister a "natural leader," Shastri expects the "best fast bowler in the world" to make the ball talk while facing Australia's best.

"I think Jasprit, no question. Because he's the best fast bowler in the world. There's no question about that. These are the top two