The Indian Cricket Team is preparing to take on Australia in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. The four Test matches will be played at four different venues across India, and tickets for the series are in high demand.
The team will be led by Rohit Sharma and will be relying on a number of players in the batting department. Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli will provide the stability that the side needs, while Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer could provide a threat as well.
India has an excellent record against Australia and will be aiming to win this series by a comfortable margin. They will also be looking to build on the momentum they gained during their tour of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which saw them win three of the five matches.
Australia has an excellent bowling attack and will be able to bowl the ball around the park. Their bowling lineup features fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, as well as medium-pace bowlers Cameron Green and Lance Morris.
There are a few new faces that have been brought in as well, including the likes of young gun Ashton Agar and left-arm spinner Todd Murphy. Both these players are capable of playing a key role in the first two Tests.
They will be bolstered by the return of fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, who have recovered from injuries. This will help India get back on track after they were bowled out for just 152 in the first test.
The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be a bit slower than it was in Adelaide, but this should not be too much of a problem for the Indian batting lineup. A tinge of grass is expected to make it a good all-rounder track for the Indian batsmen.
If the Aussies have any hope of winning this test, it will be through their batting. They have a strong top six, and any of them can score runs without too much trouble.
They will also be boosted by the return of spinner Nathan Lyon who took 47 wickets in 2022. Among the other spinners, Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson are likely to play a significant role as well.
Another player that will be looking to impress is fast bowler Ben Stokes who has a very strong track record against India. He will be a threat with his ability to turn the ball, and he is sure to be able to bowl some of the best spells of the series as well.
He is also a very good off-spinner which is something that India has struggled with in the past.
The bowling attack will also be bolstered by the return of bowlers including Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel, who all have recovered from injuries. This will help India to recover from the loss in the Asia Cup, and they should be able to bowl their full quota against the Aussies.
