Australia’s captain Pat Cummins (L) and India’s captain Jasprit Bumrah pose with the trophy at Optus Stadium in Perth on November 21, 2024, forward of the primary cricket Check between Australia and India.
| Picture Credit score: AFP
Two males fused by their ardour for pace, break up by nationalities, and thrown collectively right into a sporting rivalry, stretched their palms in direction of one another. Within the background, the solar was beating down on the grass, all golden hue and inexperienced tinge, and within the shade, a cool breeze demanded respect and woollens.
Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins, froze time for a bit, as the 2, with a son every, mentioned parenthood and child steps. This was life distilled into its finest essence. As proud fathers, splendid pacers and rival captains, Bumrah and Cummins then posed with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the Optus Stadium right here on Thursday (November 21, 2024) at midday. And it was time to prepare for an extended Australian summer time that may achieve its sporting excessive from the 5 Assessments pitting India in opposition to Cummins and his males.
When the primary Check commences on Friday (November 22, 2024), one among cricket’s biggest rivalries will get a contemporary chapter. The Ashes and the reminiscences of India-Pakistan Assessments linger, however there is no such thing as a discounting the charms, the adrenaline, and the nail-biting climaxes that appear inevitable when India and Australia face off. India arrives after struggling a 0-3 loss in its yard in opposition to New Zealand however historical past would whisper concerning the beautiful Check sequence triumphs Down Beneath within the 2018-19 and 2020-21 sequence.
The floor is predicted to supply tempo and bounce and it was no shock when Indian coach Gautam Gambhir sauntered in direction of the pitch on match eve and had an extended gaze. He has sufficient to ponder about. Common skipper Rohit Sharma is on a paternity break; Virat Kohli, an enormous hero equally in Australia, is looking for runs; and Shubman Gill with a left-thumb harm, is a uncertain starter.
The batting order needs to be tweaked and Devdutt Padikkal might come into the image with maybe Okay.L. Rahul transferring atop the batting tree in tandem with Yashasvi Jaiswal. With demand for some batting insurance coverage decrease down the order, the team-management could also be inclined in direction of seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy whereas Washington Sundar is an choice.
An Australian line-up with its penchant for left-handed batters may additionally deliver R. Ashwin because the counter-point. Bumrah, with Mohammed Siraj for help, has to encourage a seemingly under-cooked tempo assault.
Australia, in the meantime, is itching to wrest again a trophy that has gone lacking from its cabinet after the triumphant 2014-15 sequence. Cummins with fellow speedsters Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are a transparent risk and whereas the batting order will miss David Warner, there may be sufficient expertise due to the trio of Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
The final time India and Australia had been locked in a five-Check duel in 1991-92, Allan Border’s males received at 4-0. The one hyperlink with these days is present Aussie star Mitchell Marsh, whose father Geoff performed again then, and the latter’s rivals, Indian selector Subroto Banerjee and Ravi Shastri, again right here as a commentator. Since that point a lot water has flown down Perth’s Swan River whereas India chases contemporary ripples in its fortunes.
The groups (from).
Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wicket-keeper), Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Mitchell Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon.
India: Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Okay.L. Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Nitish Reddy, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.
Match begins at 7:50 a.m. IST.
Printed – November 21, 2024 01:38 pm IST
