Optus Stadium in Perth has played host to five Tests, with the first in 2018-19. Australia beat India by 146 runs on that occasion, with team efforts with the bat – plus Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets – trumping Virat Kohli’s magnificent century.
Australia went on to win the first four Tests at this ground before India ended that run in 2024. Their dominance in Perth, where opposing teams have often found the going difficult, is not a huge surprise. However, some of the records at Optus Stadium may raise an eyebrow or two.
Optus Stadium Perth records: Teams batting first dominate
Results in Tests at Optus Stadium Perth
2018/19: Australia beat India by 146 runs
2019/20: Australia beat New Zealand by 296 runs
2022/23: Australia beat West Indies by 164 runs
2023/24: Australia beat Pakistan by 360 runs
2024/25: India beat Australia by 295 runs
The team who batting first has won all five Tests easily, although Australia were made to work hard by West Indies in the fourth innings in 2022/23.
Teams set up their wins in the first innings, including India who scored just 150 in 2024. The overall first innings score is 395.4 with three scores above 400.
Pace vs. spin records: Don’t discount the spinners, especially Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon leads the bowling records at Optus Stadium in Perth. On a ground where bounce is the common theme, Lyon has benefitted most, taking 29 wickets at a superb average of 20.86.
Lyon thrives on bounce. His overspin will be sure to test England in the Ashes. Ben Stokes’ team will look to take him on, which should make for a fascinating battle.
Overall, pace bowlers have taken 129 wickets at an average of 27.76, nearly seven runs better than spin’s 34.52.
Most runs: Marnus Labuschagne
Australia needs a big series from Marnus Labuschagne. He has enjoyed great success on this ground, striking 524 runs at an average of 74.85. This includes three centuries in four matches, with a top score of 204 against West Indies in 2022/23.
Pace
Spin
134 wickets
46 wickets
Average: 27.76
Average: 34.52
Economy: 3.02
Economy: 3.16
Five-wicket hauls: 5
Five-wicket hauls: 2
Other key records at Optus Stadium Perth:
Highest team score: 598/4 by Australia (batting first) vs. West Indies in 2022/23.
Lowest team score: 89 by Pakistan (batting fourth) vs. Australia in 2023/24.
Highest individual score: 204 by Marnus Labuschagne vs. West Indies in 2022/23.
Best bowling figures in an innings: 6/56 by Mohammed Shami vs. Australia in 2018/19.
Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins will lead India and Australia respectively in the opening Test of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), something former England captain Michael Vaughan is excited for.
The Pat Cummins-led side would want to settle the scores and win their first Test series against India since 2014/15. With Rohit Sharma unavailable for the first Test, Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead the Indian team on Friday. Thus, it will be exciting to see two pacers lead their respective sides. Prior to this, Bumrah captained India in just one Test. It was against England in 2022, which India went on to lose.
“We’ve got two fast bowlers captaining which is…..I mean I don’t know if it’s ever happened before,” said Vaughan, speaking to Arvind Kalyana Krishnan during the Kayo Sports’ Summer of Cricket event organised by Fox Cricket.
Michael Vaughan believes Jasprit Bumrah is the best going around
How Australia handles Jasprit Bumrah could go a long way to deciding this series. Of course, that is easier said than done. India’s lead fast bowler has 173 wickets in 40 Tests at an extraordinary average of 20.57.
“Without doubt he’s [Bumrah] the best bowler in the world. That’s any day, in my opinion. What will happen with the captaincy? Well, we’ll have to wait and see but I think he will be absolutely fine,” said Vaughan.
Owing to the hype around the two teams, all eyes are on the Indian and Australian players ahead of the first Test in Perth. The BGT rivalry has come on leaps and bounds, with memorable storylines over the years. It is to be noted that the last time India toured Australia for a Test series in 2020-21, history was created as the Asian side managed to script history and went on to win a memorable series.
However, Vaughan still believes the Ashes is the premier rivalry. “The Ashes by a country mile,” said the former England captain with a smile, a year before Ben Stokes’ team are due to play an Ashes series downunder.
Below is the audio of Arvind Kalyana Krishnan’s interview with Vaughan ahead of the first Test at Perth:
Retained: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal RTMs available: 3
RTM options: Mohammed Siraj, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Lockie Ferguson
Out of these players, the first three names are likely to be of the most interest to RCB.
Purse available: Rs. 83 crores
Talking on the need to create a strong Indian core, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat said, “We’re all too aware of the need to establish a strong Indian core to our team going into the 2025 IPL season, and we feel that our retention decisions are a significant step in the right direction.”
“As for us, we now commence our auction preparations having retained top Indian talent, whilst also giving ourselves both options and flexibility with our three remaining RTMs, and a healthy available purse. It should be fun!” he added.
RCB Auction Strategy IPL 2025: Rajat Patidar forms part of the Indian core.
RCB IPL 2025 Auction Strategy: Indian core & class wicket-keeper key
Assuming RCB uses a Right to Match (RTM) card for Mohammed Siraj, who has been an integral part of the franchise since 2018, and buy back/RTM in-form 25-year-old Mahipal Lomror, who has scored 300*, 111, 6, and 99 in the last month of first-class cricket, RCB would have a strong Indian core to build around. They’ll have a world-class opener (Kohli), one of the country’s top middle-order T20 batters and spin-hitters (Patidar), a young and promising domestic left-hander (Lomror), one of India’s leading pacers (Siraj), and a domestic left-arm pacer who can swing the new ball upfront and also bowl in the death overs (Dayal).
Their primary requirement now? A solid wicketkeeper-batter, preferably Indian. Top options include Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan. Given that they have the second-largest purse, RCB would ideally aim to secure one of these players.
While Pant is the ideal fit – a left-handed domestic wicketkeeper-batter who can also captain – acquiring him may be difficult due to high demand, particularly with PBKS holding a massive ₹110.5 crore purse. Kishan also fits the bill in all areas Pant does, except for captaincy, and could be a great option. As for Rahul, it’s well-known that RCB will target him in the auction.
RCB Auction Strategy for IPL 2025: KL Rahul will surely attract interest.
There’s also a possibility that RCB may target Jos Buttler as a wicketkeeper-batter. He can captain the side like KL Rahul and is one of the world’s top T20 openers.
If RCB somehow are unable to acquire any of Pant, Kishan, Rahul, or Buttler, they may bid heavily for Jitesh Sharma (whom they might target anyway as a middle-order batter and second keeping option). However, there’s a possibility that PBKS could use their RTM on him.
Who RCB finally acquires will also depend heavily on auction dynamics. Buttler and Pant will feature in the first marquee set, with KL Rahul in the second. Kishan and Jitesh will be part of wicketkeeper-batters Set 1, which will come a bit later.
RCB may need a solid left-hander for the top order
If RCB secure one of Buttler or Rahul, which is most likely, they must also target a solid left-hander at No. 3 to split the right-handers in the top 4. This would make it harder for opposition sides to attack with left-arm spin, a bowling type that has been a nemesis for them lately. Of course, while Lomror himself can play that role at No. 3, other options include: Rachin Ravindra, Venkatesh Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Nitish Rana, and Ben Duckett. If Jos Buttler opens, a domestic option at No. 3 may become a priority.
RCB Auction Strategy for IPL 2025: Rachin Ravindra could offer great value.
However, if RCB manage to acquire one of Pant or Kishan, they need not prioritize a left-hander at No. 3. In that case, options would still include the names mentioned above, but also expand to include Harry Brook, Glenn Maxwell (an outside chance for RTM), and Will Jacks (a probable RTM).
In any case, RCB will need a strong finisher to replace Dinesh Karthik, and the leading emerging option is Liam Livingstone, although he may be on PBKS’s radar for RTM. Other potential options to bat at No. 6: Marcus Stoinis, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, and Tim David.
There’s also a chance RCB might look to bolster their middle-order with the experienced David Miller at No. 5/6, although his returns have dipped of late.
Among Indian options, RCB might look to acquire local boy Abhinav Manohar, who has been in stellar form recently and could bat at No. 5. Abdul Samad is another high-ceiling young Indian lower middle-order option.
Currently, two potential XIIs are shaping up as follows:
Should RCB target Marco Jansen?
After the recent IND-SA T20Is, Marco Jansen’s stock has certainly risen, and he could be a solid No. 7/8 for many teams. Standing at 6’8″, he can move the new ball and with his long levers, has the ability to clear the fence with the bat. However, RCB are unlikely to target Jansen, as it would result in three bowlers whose best phase is the Powerplay (Dayal, Siraj, Jansen).
Among domestic options, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Sai Kishore stand out as top choices. Given the conditions at the Chinnaswamy, bowlers who maintain tight, defensive lines and lengths should be prioritised. My personal preference leans towards Sai Kishore or Krunal, although Brar could be available at a lower price, and I wouldn’t mind him either. While Ashwin is undoubtedly a genius and still can be valuable, given his age and recent inconsistency with his length, I think I’ll pass on him.
Head Coach Andy Flower’s preference for tall, hit-the-deck pacers could see the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Josh Hazlewood, and Anrich Nortje attract bids from RCB, with Lockie Ferguson possibly being a candidate for RTM. Although William O’Rourke is raw, taking a punt on him could be worthwhile — provided he doesn’t get too expensive — potentially as a backup, with the future upside in mind.
That leaves one spot for the lead spinner in the side, with several domestic and international options available: Yuzvendra Chahal, Noor Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Adam Zampa, Allah Ghazanfar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Adil Rashid, and Mitchell Santner (however, in that case, the chances of Sundar, or another off-spinner, increase instead of Brar/Krunal/Sai Kishore). For a venue like Chinnaswamy, it would be wise to opt for a defensive spinner rather than an attacking one. Mental strength also becomes a factor in such flat conditions. I personally will be very interested in the 18-year-old Allah Ghazanfar, who can also bat a bit.
*The names mentioned are not in order of priority, but rather based on their position in the full list of 574 players released by the IPL. For example: Venkatesh/Rachin/Wadhera/Rana/Duckett for No. 3 – Venkatesh is listed as the 21st player, Rachin as the 25th, as so on.
With so many potential combinations emerging just from this discussion, and so many more players yet to be considered, the possibilities are endless. The stage is set for an exhilarating mega auction starting this Sunday – let the bidding wars begin!
Pat Cummins is raring to go for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), with the added motivation of reaching the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final. Australia are favourites to reach the final at Lord’s to defend the crown they won against India at The Oval in 2023.
With two Tests in Sri Lanka to come in January, one feels the five-match BGT series will be crucial to Australia’s hopes. The Aussies have lost four of their past five Tests in the Island nation, including a 1-1 draw in 2022.
WTC is something we talk about a lot – Pat Cummins
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Cummins said the WTC adds even more motivation to the drive Australia already have to break their BGT drought against India. He said the tournament adds another layer to an already fascinating series.
“The WTC does provide an added motivation,” the Australian captain said. “We won it the last time around so we’re desperate to go out and defend that title.”
“That is kind of the other layer to this series. Obviously, you’re trying to win every single Test match, but there’s also more on the line with the World Test Championship points up for grabs. It’s something we talk about a lot; we’ve got this series against India and then Sri Lanka afterwards which are our last two series in this cycle.”
Cummins also said the key is keeping the Indian batters as quiet as possible. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are looking to rediscover their best form.
“Every player goes through a kind of good form, bad form,” said Cummins when asked about the form of Rohit and Virat. “If you’re going to have a long Test career, you’re going to have those little patches. Our job is obviously to try and keep the Indian batters as quiet as we can so we’ll wait and see. Those two [Rohit and Virat] are obviously some of India’s more experienced players, so we’ll see what happens.”
Cummins also touched on the importance of sound plans against some of the players, most notably Rishabh Pant who has caused Australia trouble over the years.
“He [Pant] is someone who always moves the game on pretty quickly, so for some of the players, you have to have some sound plans, too,” Cummins said. “He’s played well, he had a good series out here in Australia. So yeah, we know he can be dangerous when he gets going, so [we’ll] try and have some good plans and hope they come off.”
The first Test at Perth is set to be played on a fast, bouncy surface. Australia have won all four previous Tests at Optus Stadium, but will need to be on their game given their own batting concerns across formats over the past year.
The Asian nation then went on to lose the three-match T20I series comfortably against Australia. Thus, their form has been topsy-turvy, to say the least. Moreover, their head coach Jason Gillespie recently stated that Cricket Australia’s focus was on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and not the white-ball series between Australia and Pakistan.
During an exclusive interview with Arvind Kalyana Krishnan, former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif voiced his opinion on the limited-overs series between the two sides. The former keeper-batter spoke about Pakistan’s performances and drew light on their approach in the shortest format of the game. Latif drew light on Babar Azam’s current form, and felt that his batting alongside Mohammad Rizwan doesn’t suit the current demands of T20Is.
Moreover, Latif also spoke about the controversies surrounding India not wanting to come to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. He gave his opinion on the matter while stating the consequences of the same. It is to be noted that there’s yet to be an official update on India’s participation in the CT 2025 in Pakistan.
Rashid Latif Interview: Babar Azam, Champions Trophy and more
On whether Australia took Pakistan too lightly in the ODIs…
Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Pakistan’s current head coach Jason Gillespie recently said that Cricket Australia’s focus was solely on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and the limited-overs series against Pakistan didn’t get any limelight. Australia also rested their key players for not only the third ODI but also for the T20I series. What is your opinion on this? Did Australia take Pakistan too lightly?
Rashid Latif: See they (Australia) thought that they’ll play the first two ODI games and win the series and after that, they’ll change the side. However, they announced the changes beforehand. Their full-strength Australian side did play the first two ODIs, even those who’ll be playing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. So Australia won one and lost one.
Although they lost the third ODI with a younger team, any other team would’ve still lost to Pakistan. Pakistan would’ve beaten any team on that day, even the bigger team of Australia, their bowling was very good. It was a drop-in pitch and I felt that batting first was always going to be hard.
Now that will happen in upcoming Tests in Australia too. Drop-in pitches are hard, there’s more movement, but if you see the T20Is, i.e. the new team, they’re developing. Australia did win the first two T20Is with a younger side so there are no complaints, not from my side at least. It is good that they tried their players and they’re making a team for the 2026 T20 World Cup. They played well and won both the games.
As for Pakistan, Pakistan played a weak T20I team with new players. What I feel is that they have new players and will try them out. Hasebullah Khan, Omaie Yousuf and Jahandad Khan are some of them. So they will try out their new players. Pakistan did look like a weak T20I side though. They’re still developing. Australia is a new team and they normally give a strong reply in the shortest format of the game.
They can't play Haris Rauf 🇵🇰 that's it, that's the tweet
Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: My next question is about Pakistan’s T20I team. We’ve now been seeing the likes of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan open the batting in T20Is. No doubt their numbers are very good but if look at this generation, teams like India and Australia have openers like Rohit Sharma and Travis Head with an aggressive approach. Do you think that Pakistan’s openers should take an aggressive approach? Can they still change their T20I game?
Rashid Latif: See Pakistan’s strongest format was T20Is for the last 10 years. However, Pakistan is currently the worst T20 team, that’s what I feel. It’s not just about the openers. Take a look at the number 3 batter. Like India, if you take a look at their openers, they play at a strike rate of 150-155. Australian openers play at a strike rate of 160. England also play in the same manner.
Pakistan though plays at a strike rate of 126. Post this, it’s not just the openers, it’s how the number 3 batter also plays, India’s number 3 batter plays slightly slower but Australia’s number 3 batter plays quicker and then again, Pakistan’s number 3 batter plays even slower.
If you take a look at all countries and see, South African openers play at a strike rate of 145.1 since 2023. Australian openers play at a strike rate of 159.75. England openers play at 156.7. Indian openers play at 150.13. Pakistan openers though play at 126.12, so we’re way behind. Even a number 3 is also important. If you see Australia’s number 3 plays at a strike rate of 163.75, England at 126.4, India at 147. Pakistan again here is 127.
India dominated the recent T20I series in South Africa.
So you see Pakistani batters have a low strike rate at almost every batting position. Number 5 and 6 batters are important too and Pakistan’s number 5 batter has a strike rate of 114.07, number 6 is at 111.47. I’m not taking any names here but this is how the world plays. The problem isn’t just with our openers, it’s with the entire team.
If you see the second T20I against Australia, the way our lower-middle order performed, I mean the middle-order could’ve won us the game. So our issue isn’t just one. We’re falling way behind the current T20I standards in world cricket. T20Is are now played very differently, like how you now see in the IPL……The way you see Indian batters perform, the way you see the likes of Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal bat. The way Australia’s Travis Head and England’s Jos Buttler, even their youngsters like Jacob Bethell, I mean even their newcomers are playing like this. In my opinion, Pakistan are way behind other teams. Not just the openers, but there’s a huge question mark over the entire batting unit for me in T20Is.
Do Babar and Rizwan have the ability to change their game?
Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: So similarly like this Rohit Sharma had an issue in T20Is and India’s approach was slightly different. However, Rohit Sharma changed the approach and got an aggressive intent, he himself started to bat more aggressively. Like Rohit Sharma, can Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan change their game? Do they have the capability?
Rashid Latif: They can change their game but it will affect a lot of things. Now you’ve spoken about Rohit Sharma so see, Rohit Sharma wanted to play the same way in Tests, he wanted the aggressive approach. However, it flopped. His style flopped in Tests and this led to a 3-0 loss against New Zealand, something that was unimaginable. So one must think how to play each format.
Rohit Sharma in one-day cricket was able to adapt very well. He changed the mindset in ODIs and it worked out very well. They reached the finals during the 2023 World Cup in India. He seemed like a different player. As for T20Is, all of them can play like this, but playing like this in ODIs is very hard. So a lot of credit must go to Rohit Sharma and the way he has brought about a change in ODIs for India. The way he changed everything in the entire Indian team. However, that same style backfired in Tests and it massively flopped in Tests. I think he scored a 50 in one match and was dismissed by a fast bowler only. Although, there weren’t many fast bowlers. Despite having a good defense, he got out while trying to hit a shot, a cross-shot if I’m not wrong.
As far as Babar and Rizwan are concerned, I feel that it will be hard for them to change their approach like Rohit Sharma, they’re a different category of players. Their defense is very strong. They need time while batting. They generally need time to settle. They need to shift their T20I game though. Either they should shift their T20I numbers and change their game or else get a few youngsters in the side for a few games, and develop them. They can change their game but there are a lot of new players like Saim Ayub.
Can Mohammad Rizwan rediscover his best form?
On Babar Azam’s form…
Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Babar Azam is unarguably one of the best players in the world. He’s been one of the best of this era. He’s been a consistent batter throughout his career. However his form of late hasn’t really been good. So what’s your opinion on his current bad phase? What do you think about his form in the last 1 year?
Rashid Latif: Babar Azam’s form hasn’t really been good. He’s getting dismissed a lot more frequently in Tests. Even in T20Is, his form hasn’t been good. He needs to work really hard according to me. He needs a lot more practice, he needs to work on his shortcomings. He needs to rectify his faults. Babar needs to see what kinds of issues he’s having, how he’s getting out, he needs to work on that.
Babar needs to address his flaws, he needs to find out if the problems are technical, tactical or just in the head. He needs to see If the problem lies in his game or if something is bothering him mentally. I mean him stepping down as a captain, then becoming the captain again, and then his team getting knocked out of the World Cup, there was mental stress and that probably impacted his game.
His batting in T20Is, I mean he’s trying to bat well, he’s trying to take a different style, but the issue is he can’t bat like Rohit Sharma, Abhishek Sharma and the others. He has his own style. He should play according to his own style. He should then battle out his mental stress and try to overcome that. He’s no longer the captain so that stress won’t be there. I feel like it’ll be good if he’s kept away from T20Is.
Question marks about Babar Azam as a T20I player in this day and age.
On the Champions Trophy in Pakistan….
Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Now the Champions Trophy is set to take place in Pakistan next year. The hosting rights are with Pakistan and they’ve started the preparations. However, everyday we hear reports about the BCCI not wanting to send their Indian team, a possibility of there being a hybrid model. India don’t want to come to Pakistan. We still don’t have any clarity. BCCI, PCB and ICC are still in talks. So do you think that Pakistan would agree to a hybrid model? What are your thoughts on this whole issue?
Rashid Latif: See in bilateral games and tournaments like the Asia Cup, it’s all ok if India or Pakistan don’t participate but this is an ICC tournament and everyone has to play. This opportunity has come after a long time. I mean after a long time India has to come to Pakistan to play an ICC tournament. This has been approved from all the cricket boards in the world, the ICC, all the authorities including India are included.
As for the new scenario, political narratives keep getting made…..See both teams will certainly play. I don’t know where but both teams will surely play against each other. There are a lot of things at stake. Broadcasters have a lot at stake. There’s some 3 billion at stake. So there’s no way they will say that it’s ok for India and Pakistan to not play against each other. I feel that the Pakistan Cricket Board will also somehow agree and come to a conclusion on where to play and what to do. This is because the cricketing world depends on it. The cricketing world depends on the India-Pakistan match. So in my opinion, it will happen. I don’t know where but the PCB, BCCI and ICC will surely plan something. Other people can make a fool out of the audience but they will certainly play.
The highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) is on our doorstep, with the Perth pitch in the spotlight. If the pitch emulates the one last year against Pakistan, the batsmen will be in for a tough time.
And that is on the menu. Isaac McDonald, Western Australia (WA) Cricket Head Curator, said the pitch will have pace and bounce, as seen already this season in the Australia-Pakistan ODI.
“This is Australia, this is Perth,” said McDonald to ESPNcricinfo earlier this month. “I’m setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce and really good carry.”
Optus Stadium Perth Pitch Report: Rain in the leadup to the Test adds another complexion
Australia racked up 487 in the first innings against Pakistan last year, with David Warner smashing 164. But, batting became trickier has the match went on. Cracks opened up, resulting in Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja copping blows.
Pakistan were then bowled out for 89 in the fourth innings as Australia sealed a big 360-run win.
Although conditions have been cooler in Perth this spring, warm conditions are forecast for the first Test of the 2024/25 BGT series. Sunny weather is expected on Friday (day one) through to Sunday (day three), with temperatures around 30 degrees on days two and three. However, it is unlikely that cracks will open up too much as the Test goes on given there has been some rain in the lead up to the match.
“I don’t think this weather is going to make this pitch fall apart,” said WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald. “There’ll be some deterioration. Grass will stand up during the game and offer that variable bounce. But in terms of big-snake WACA cracks, unfortunately, I don’t think the weather’s going to get us there.”
Australia have won all four Tests at Optus Stadium, including the first against India in 2018-19. That was on a spicy wicket, where Virat Kohli’s superb hundred was trumped by Australia’s team effort and Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets.
In fact, Lyon is a player to keep an eye on even with pace expected to dominate. The offspinner loves bowling on this ground thanks to the bounce on offer, with 27 wickets at an average of 18.00. This is far lower than spinners’ total average on this ground (33.18), with pace faring better (29.71).
Australia batted first in all four Tests and won each match by a handsome margin (146, 296, 164, and 360 runs). The average first innings score is 456, and such a score here would surely be a winning one.
However, both batting lineups are on shaky ground. The Optus Stadium surface looks to have more in it for the bowlers, especially now given the pitch has spent more time under covers in recent days. “At the moment, we’re leaning towards rolling it a bit more on top to get that firmness, and that happy medium between bat and ball. [It] would be nice if the sun pops out, but we’re really comfortable as a curating team,” McDonald said.
Both Australia and India have the pace arsenal to take advantage. Which batting lineup blinks first will make for fascinating viewing. Eyes will be on debutant Nathan McSweeney as well as Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, both of whom are seeking a return to their best.
For India, they are coming off a humbling 3-0 loss at home to New Zealand, where they were exposed by bounce in Bengaluru. Also, the batters had a challenging time of things in their intra-squad match simulation at the WACA, and there is no Cheteshwar Pujara this time around to hold things together.
Shubman Gill is expected to miss the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series due to injury. Gill suffered a fractured thumb while fielding during the intra-squad match simulation at the WACA.
Shubman Gill injury: Source confirms fractured thumb
According to Times of India(TOI), the Indian team management has said Gill is highly doubtful for the Perth Test starting on November 22. Scans revealed a fracture, which makes participation in the first Test difficult given it’s less than a week away.
“Yes, Shubman Gill is injured and has fractured his thumb while fielding during the match simulation,” said a source to TOI. “He went for scans after receiving attention from the medical team and the scans revealed a fracture. He looks highly doubtful for the opening Test but should be OK for the second Test [at Adelaide].”
Out for 2 weeks. fracture on his thumb Likely to be back from Adelaide test #Gill
Gill’s injury is another headache for India. Rohit Sharma is still likely to miss the first Test as he and his wife Ritika Sajdeh welcomed a baby boy over the weekend. KL Rahul was struck on the elbow while batting and Virat Kohli was also under an injury cloud. However, a source confirmed Kohli is fine.
“Virat Kohli is absolutely fine. He batted in the match simulation without any discomfort and also had a hit in the net after he got out. No concerns there,” said the source to TOI.
If Gill is out, it remains to be seen who bats at three. Devdutt Padikkal has been asked to stay on with the Test squad after he played two matches for India A earlier this season. Abhimanyu Easwaran is the other option India have for the top of the order.
The first Test kicks off at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 22. A bouncy and pace-bowling friendly pitch is expected, so top order batting could be crucial to the final result.
SA vs IND 4th T20 reactions:They say cricket is a great leveller. Sanju Samson is the prime example. He finished the South Africa-India T20I series with two centuries and two ducks, with his 109* off 56 balls the perfect end.
Samson combined with Tilak Varma, who hit his second-straight century, smashing 120* at a strike rate of 255.31. Varma was outstanding on both sides of the wicket, smashing 19 boundaries (nine fours, ten sixes) in just 47 balls.
It was a magnificent display of hitting at Johannesburg. Regardless of where the South African bowlers pitched the ball, it travelled. Aiden Markram’s team were made to pay for fielding mishaps, with the most costly drop Reeza Hendrick’s when Samson was on zero.
Tilak and Samson smashed record after record. The 283/1 is India’s second-highest T20I total, behind their 297/6 last month against Bangladesh. Samson cracked 111 off 47 balls in that match. Also, India is now the only team to hit three 250-plus totals in men’s T20Is, and the 210* run partnership at Johannesburg is India’s first-ever double-century stand in T20Is.
Arshdeep Singh then ran riot in the powerplay. He took the wickets of Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen in his first two overs to leave South Africa 10/4 chasing 284. In the end, the Proteas did well to get 148 after such an awful start.
SA vs IND 4th T20 Reactions: Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson go ballistic
India fans were full of praise for their team, who went on to win the 4th T20I by a whopping 135 runs. South Africa fans, on the other hand, were highly critical.
“This has been some serious blasting by the indian batters or was it just poor execution with the ball? We have some amazing bowlers but without the right guidance and coaching they have no chance in the modern game,” wrote former South Africa pace bowler Vernon Philander on X.
This has been some serious blasting by the indian batters or was it just poor execution with the ball? We have some amazing bowlers but without the right guidance and coaching they have no chance in the modern game. #indvssat20#Wanderers#brilliantbatting
Loads of questions about South Africa's depth and T20I approach especially as they haven't won a bilateral series since August 2022 but… worth remembering this series made Cricket SA around R600 million in revenue which is pretty much the only reason it happened. #SAvIND
— 🇿🇦🇿🇦 Sabeeha Majid 🏏/DA Miller stan account❤️ (@SabeehaMajid) November 15, 2024
1, 18, 23*, 4, 14, 19, 20, 17*, 8, 8, 3, 29, 8. Aiden Markram's last 13 scores in T20Is. No cricket argument can be mounted for his retention. He must be treated exactly like Bavuma was because his form is equally awful. #SAvsIND
We can call out players all we want. But at the end of the day Rob picks his squads & Xi's so the buck stops with him!! We haven't won a bilateral T20I series in 2 years under him!! We Also lost 12 of our last 17 white ball games!! ATROCIOUS!!! Questions nds to be asked!#SAvINDpic.twitter.com/TM7yjPdYsd
I’ll be honest..I didn’t think Tilak could bat in this fashion. Huge credit to Surya for relinquishing his No 3 spot..not every captain would have done it..#SAvIND
Not many players would've given up their No.3 spot for a youngster. Huge credit to Suryakumar Yadav for giving up his No.3 spot for Tilak Varma. Sometimes all you need is confidence and enabling environment to succeed. 2 💯s on the trot from Tilak at No.3 – great feat #SAvsIND
Been here in wanderers since 2009. Honest enough to admit I witnessed one of the best performances by a seamer in power play in T20 format – Arshdeep Singh.
India looked to have fresh concerns after KL Rahul walked off the field with an injury during their intra-squad match at the WACA in Perth ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rahul, batting on 29*, was struck on the right arm by a rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna. After receiving attention from the physiotherapist, he was in too much discomfort to continue.
“KL Rahul’s not looking very comfortable after being struck on his right elbow/forearm off a rising delivery. Tried to resume batting by shaking it off but clearly couldn’t. And now leaving with the physio,” wrote journalist Bharat Sundaresan on X.
KL Rahul’s not looking very comfortable after being struck on his right elbow/forearm off a rising delivery. Tried to resume batting by shaking it off but clearly couldn’t. And now leaving with the physio #AusvIndpic.twitter.com/JFivRNx7af
KL Rahul injury update: Batsman expected to be fitfor first Test
According to reports, Rahul leaving the field was precautionary. India Today reported that sources have provided reassurance that he will be fine for the first Test which begins at Optus Stadium on November 22. “They [sources] reassured that he was doing well and there were no concerns regarding injuries within the Indian camp,” read the report.
However, The Hindu reported that a BCCI source said that it will take time to assess his elbow. “About Rahul, it’s just happened so will take some time to assess (his elbow),” said the sources to PTI.
With Rohit Sharma expected to miss the first Test due to paternity leave, Rahul is the favourite to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order. His form is of concern, with a lack of runs heading into the series, including an underwhelming outing for India A where he was bowled in comical fashion against Corey Rocchiccioli.
“There are times you go with experienced players as well. He [KL Rahul] can bat at the top, middle order and at No. 6 as well. He can keep wicket; can do the job for us if Rohit is not available for the 1st Test. We will try and get the best combination – be it KL, Gill or Easwaran”, coach Gautam Gambhir said ahead of the big series.
Former Australia fast bowler Brendon Julian has made a bold call, predicting Australia will win the first Test comfortably against India in Perth. Speaking on Fox Cricket, Julian said India’s issues – both from a form and player availability perspective – could see them have a difficult outing first up.
“The Aussies will clean up India in 4 days. There are worrying signs for India, straight at the top,” Julian said. “Rohit Sharma is not playing the first Test [due to paternity leave]; he has come out and said that. So Jasprit Bumrah will captain the side. Now that’s a lot of pressure when you’re the opening bowler.”
Julian also pointed to India’s struggles in their recent, shock 3-0 loss at home to New Zealand. Their batting did not hold up against either the bounce in Bengaluru or spin in Pune and Mumbai. This led to India fans heavily criticising coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit, and Julian believes there is a lack of gelling at the moment.
“The way that Virat Kohli got out against New Zealand – for him to get out like that in that Test series was unbelievable,” said Julian. “Kohli is not at his best. He is not gelling with the captain probably and the coach but having said that, he can quickly turn it around. But if they start pulling in Perth, I reckon it’ll be all over,” he continued.
Nathan Lyon can be key in battle against Virat Kohli – Brendon Julian
Fast and bouncy conditions are expected at Perth’s Optus Stadium, similar to the third ODI between Australia and Pakistan on November 10. However, Julian pinpointed Nathan Lyon as a key weapon in keeping Kohli quiet.
“The thing with Virat Kohli is that I think he would rather bat in Australia. The way he batted against New Zealand in India, he was getting out to spinners. The nemesis for him would be Nathan Lyon. He’s got the wood over him, but he is going to enjoy the conditions,” he said.
While India have their worries, so do Australia. After much deliberation, Nathan McSweeney was selected as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner, a move criticised by some, including former opener Ed Cowan who described the move as “a guess”.
Also, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are averaging 33.6 and 39.4 respectively since the start of 2023. If Australia are not up to the mark with the bat, India have the bowling arsenal to cause them problems.
