Former coach Ravi Shastri has predicted young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and star quick Jasprit Bumrah to be India’s key players ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy match against Australia. The hype surrounding BGT was simply unreal. The decline of Test heavyweights has added further spice to the rivalry. Perth’s grass is bouncy and pacey and is expected to remain true to its nature, so batsmen will need to up their stakes to improve their runs.
In such difficult conditions, Shastri maintained that Jaiswal will shine against Australia’s fierce bowling team. For Shastri, the southpaw’s back-to-back double hundreds (209, 214*) against England in Vizag and Rajkot reflect his hunger for runs.
Shastri said in the ICC review: “Jaishwal is at the top because when he comes in he can be destructive. You know, he’s very good at spin, he plays at his own tempo, I have every shot in the book.”
“He’s an entertainer, so if he comes in, you know he has the ability to get big scores, as we’ve already seen in his career. You can’t achieve a double hundred, it’s the same, you need a “hungry spirit and quality and ability,” Shastri said.
The second Indian player Shastri has backed to raise the bar is Jasprit Bumrah. In a unique move that will bring lightning to Australia, Bumrah will lead India in the absence of designated skipper Rohit Sharma.
With bowling coach Morne Morkel describing the A-lister as a “natural leader”, Shastri expects “the world’s best fast bowler” to have some ball talk as he takes on Australia’s best. There is.
“I think Jasprit, there’s no doubt about it, because he’s the best fast bowler in the world. There’s no doubt about that. These are the top two bowlers on either side. And you would expect him at this stage of his career. Sometimes he lets the ball do the talking to be the best wicket-taker,” he said.
Bumrah was an outstanding player for India in 2024 with his sensational blitz. Apart from promoting his talent in all formats, Bumrah’s numbers in Australia have given confidence to the Indian camp about the results he can bring to Australia.
Before stepping into Optus Stadium on Friday, Bumrah had shocked Australia with 32 Test wickets in seven matches, averaging just 21.25.
The first Test between India and Australia begins on Friday at Optus Stadium in Perth. Both teams, who are in the top two spots in the ICC World Test Championship points tally, will aim to further improve their chances of making it to the final. While India will be looking to bounce back from a rare and humiliating defeat at home to New Zealand, Australia will be aiming to avoid a hat-trick of series losses to India at home.
After the series opener in Perth on November 22nd, a second day-night Test will be played under the lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6th to 10th. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test. From December 14th to 18th.
The traditional Boxing Day Test is scheduled for December 26-30 at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and will be the penultimate stage of the series. The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to the much-awaited series.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, WK Thunder.
Australia squad for first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh. , Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Stark.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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