Tag: Border Gavaskar Trophy

Australia skipper Pat Cummins admitted that the crushing first Test loss to India “hurt”, but said his team is experienced enough to learn from it and will bounce back in the remaining matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The Indian side arrived in Australia on the back of a humiliating 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand.

Moreover, their captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Shubman Gill were not available for the first Test. In their absence, India were bundled for a meagre 150 runs in the first innings.

However, Bumrah led the team’s remarkable comeback as they booked Australia to 104 to take a 46-run lead.

India declared their second innings after posting a massive 487-6, setting Australia a mountainous 534-run target. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli struck dominant centuries to set up the mammoth total.

In response, Australia crumbled to 238 all out in the final session on day four against an inspired attack led by the irrepressible Jasprit Bumrah, who took 3-42 to claim eight wickets in the match.

“Look, I think you kind of sit in the change room after a loss like that and it hurts,” said Pat Cummins after the match. “When a team declares on you, it’s never an amazing feeling. We’ve all been in these situations before.”

“The biggest challenge and the most important thing is how do you bounce back, what’s your next move?

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“So that’s what we’ve got to do this week. Clearly, we were well off the mark, there’s a lot to work on.

“The most important thing is there’s four Test matches to come and how do we make sure that we don’t be in this position again.”

The next Test is in Adelaide next week under lights with a pink ball, a format Australia has excelled at.

Cummins said they would likely arrive in the city earlier than first thought to work on ironing out the batting and bowling issues that cost them in Perth.

But despite allrounder Mitchell Marsh carrying some niggles and Marnus Labuschagne being badly out of form, he does not expect many, if any, changes.

“I think after every Test you always kind of look at what you think your best match-up is,” he said. “Four or five days ago, we thought this was our best 11 so I dare say there won’t be many changes going into Adelaide, but I’m not a selector.”

“I’m sure they’ll get together after the game, but yeah, not to be today and we’ve got a bit of work to do over the next 10 days.”

READ: “Didn’t see him out of form”: Jasprit Bumrah hails Virat Kohli

India stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah heaped high praise on star batter Virat Kohli after the crushing victory over Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth on Monday.

The Indian side arrived in Australia on the back of a humiliating 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand.

Moreover, their captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Shubman Gill were not available for the first Test. In their absence, India were bundled for a meagre 150 runs in the first innings.

However, Bumrah led the team’s remarkable comeback as they booked Australia to 104 to take a 46-run lead.

India declared their second innings after posting a massive 487-6, setting Australia a mountainous 534-run target. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli struck dominant centuries to set up the mammoth total.

Kohli walked out to bat on the third day carrying the weight of four single-digit scores in his last five innings and a 16-month century drought. He last scored a century during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand.

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However, he displayed a masterclass in strokeplay, marking his return to form with an unbeaten knock of 100 runs off 143 balls, laced with eight boundaries and two sixes.

In response, Australia crumbled to 238 all out in the final session on day four against an inspired attack led by the irrepressible Jasprit Bumrah, who took 3-42 to claim eight wickets in the match.

Bumrah praised Jaiswal and Kohli highly while talking to the media after the victory. He termed Jaiswal’s knock against Australia as the best innings by the young batter.

“[Yashasvi] Jaiswal has had a great start to his Test career. This was his best Test innings probably. He has an attacking nature, but he left the ball well and played long,” Bumrah stated.

The star bowler praised Kohli and asserted he was not out of form, explaining that a batter’s form cannot be judged on challenging batting wickets.

“I didn’t see him [Virat Kohli] out of form at all. On challenging wickets, it’s hard to judge if a batsman is in form. He was looking good in the nets,” he concluded.

READ: How can India qualify for WTC final after crushing Australia in Perth Test?

India, under the stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, defeated Australia by a massive 295-run margin in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth and claimed the top spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings on Monday.

Australia, while chasing a mountainous 534, crumbled to 238 all out in the final session on day four. A counter-punching Travis Head made a gritty 89 while Mitchell Marsh chipped in with 47.

But it was never going to be enough against an inspired attack led by the irrepressible Bumrah, who took 3-42 to claim eight wickets in the match. He was ably supported by Mohammed Siraj with 3-51.

It was an astonishing turnaround for India, who arrived in Australia on the back of a humiliating 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand. They needed four victories in the five-match series to earn their place in the WTC final.

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With the victory in the Perth Test, India successfully ascended to the top of the WTC standings, boasting a PCT of 61.11 after winning nine out of their 15 matches in the ongoing cycle.

In contrast, Australia, who had previously held the leading position in the WTC standings, fell to second place following this match, now possessing a PCT of 57.69 after securing eight wins out of 13 matches.

However, the win in Perth did not guarantee India a spot in the WTC final. To ensure their place in the final, the Indian team would need to win three out of the remaining four matches during their Australian tour.

A 5-0 clean sweep or a 4-1 victory in the series would provide them with the coveted ticket to the final. In case they fail to achieve these results, their fate will depend on the outcomes of other teams in the championship.

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PERTH: India ran riot to win the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a crushing 295 runs here on Monday and leave Australia shellshocked and searching for answers.

Set a mountainous 534 for victory, the world’s top-ranked Test team crumbled to 238 all out in the final session on day four. A counter-punching Travis Head made a gritty 89 while Mitchell Marsh chipped in with 47.

But it was never going to be enough against an inspired attack led by the irrepressible Jasprit Bumrah, who took 3-42 to claim eight wickets in the match. He was ably supported by Mohammed Siraj with 3-51.

It was an astonishing turnaround for India, who arrived in Australia on the back of a humiliating 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand.

Given little hope of defending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy they have held since 2017, they now head to the second day-night Test in Adelaide next week with a big psychological advantage and boosted by the return of skipper Rohit Sharma.

The victory was only India’s second in Perth and first since their triumph at the WACA Ground back in 2008.

Under Bumrah’s temporary captaincy, they utterly dominated an ageing side which is now the one facing scrutiny after failing to fire.

Out for a dismal 104 in reply to India’s first-innings 150, the hosts’ bowling attack then had no reply to a brilliant 161 from impressive young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and an unbeaten 100 from superstar Virat Kohli, who went past legendary Sir Don Bradman’s tally of Test centuries.

Australia’s batting line-up, which has long relied on one large score or partnership to pull them out of sticky situations, was mostly outsmarted. Their longest partnership through both innings was 82.

With India setting them a huge target, they again capitulated on Monday in the face of the Bumrah-led onslaught.

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After imploding in the final 30 minutes of play on Sunday, they resumed on 12-3 with Usman Khawaja on three and Steve Smith yet to score. Khawaja added just one when he mistimed a pull shot off Siraj and got a big top edge.

It was caught by backtracking wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who became the most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history on Sunday at the tournament’s lucrative auction.

Head survived a loud lbw shout on seven, a review found it was missing leg stump and he battled on, smacking seven boundaries for his 17th Test half-century.

At the other end, Smith was felled by a Harshit Rana bouncer that slammed into his midriff, needing a spell lying on the ground to recover. He was able to get up and play on, and like Head came through an lbw review on 12.

But their partnership was ended by Siraj, with Pant taking another neat catch after Smith edged a delivery he had to play on 17.

Head teamed up with Marsh in an 82-run stand to temporarily raise hopes before Bumrah again worked his magic.

Seemingly destined for a century, the largely untroubled Head feathered to Pant with Bumrah’s loud double fist pump showing how ecstatic he was at the breakthrough.

Allrounder Marsh kept the scoreboard ticking over with Alex Carey but fell for 47, dragging a wide Nitish Kumar Reddy delivery onto the stumps.

Mitchell Starc, top-scorer in the first innings, was out for 12 on the cusp of tea before the tail was wrapped up early in the final session.

Australia and India will now travel to Adelaide for the second Test, starting from December 6. Meanwhile, the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to be played in Brisbane from December 14-18.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the fourth match from December 26, while the final Test will be played in Sydney from January 3.

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Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli etched his name in the history books on Sunday with his 30th century in Test cricket, going past legendary Sir Don Bradman, during the first match of the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia.

Kohli walked out to bat on the third day carrying the weight of four single-digit scores in his last five innings and a 16-month century drought. He last scored a century during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand.

However, he displayed a masterclass in strokeplay, marking his return to form with an unbeaten knock of 100 runs off 143 balls, laced with eight boundaries and two sixes.

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His innings propelled India to a commanding position before skipper Jasprit Bumrah declared with a staggering 533-run lead.

Virat Kohli with his 30th Test century surpassed legendary Australian Sir Don Bradman, who had 29 Test hundreds to his name.

The Indian star has now joined Matthew Hayden and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the elite group of players with 30 Test centuries. Only 14 players have scored more Test tons, with Kohli trailing active players Steve Smith and Kane Williamson in the tally.

Most Centuries in Test Cricket

• Sachin Tendulkar — 51
• Jacques Kallis — 45
• Ricky Ponting — 41
• Kumar Sangakkara — 38
• Rahul Dravid — 36
• Joe Root — 35
• Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene — 34
• Alastair Cook (ENG) — 33
• Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Steve Waugh — 32
• Virat Kohli, Matthew Hayden, Shivnarine Chanderpaul — 30

It’s worth noting that this was Kohli’s seventh Test hundred in Australia, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most centuries in Australia by an Indian batter.

Overall Kohli has scored 10 centuries in Australia across all formats, which is a record by any visiting batter. Previously, the record was held by Jack Hobbs, who scored nine centuries in Australia.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a composed unbeaten 90 and KL Rahul a stylish 62 on Saturday as India built an ominous 218-run lead over Australia to take a stranglehold in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth.

A determined and gritty effort by both men against a world-class attack put the visitors in the driving seat as they look to draw first blood in the five-match series.

Jaiswal faced 193 balls while Rahul fended off 153 to steer India to 172 without loss at the close on day two.

India have won their last two Border-Gavaskar trophy series in Australia but came into the Perth Stadium clash after a devastating 3-0 home loss to New Zealand.

After making a miserly 150 on a lively pitch in their first innings, the pressure was again on. But their response proved admirable.

They took a 46-run advantage into the second innings after dismissing the hosts for a meagre 104 at lunch.

Dynamic skipper Jasprit Bumrah blitzed 5-30 and Harshit Rana grabbed 3-48.

“When Bumrah took wickets I was also desperate to do well,” said Rana, who is making his debut. “He sets the tone for us and I delivered.”

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is just 22 years of age, was playing in his 15th Test. He failed to score in his first knock and began tentatively before a boundary off Mitchell Starc settled him.

Batting alongside the more experienced Rahul, who was playing in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, they were resolute against the new ball on a pitch more placid than the treacherous one that greeted the players on Friday.

Both ran well between the wicket and cracked anything loose to the boundary, playing their shots as their confidence grew.

With the ball not moving nearly as much, Australia were in dire need of some inspiration, but it failed to come as the partnership between India batters flourished.

Left-hander Jaiswal brought up his ninth Test half-century off 123 balls, slapping Nathan Lyon for a single.

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He had a let-off on 52 when attempting a drive off Starc, with the ball flying to Usman Khawaja at second slip, but he failed to take a difficult chance.

The elegant Rahul also had a scare, surviving a run-out on 42.

He regrouped to reach his 16th half-century in his 54th Test, taking one more ball than Jaiswal, and with those landmarks reached they began playing more freely.

After an astonishing 17 wickets fell on a chaotic opening day, Australia resumed on 67-7 and put on 37 thanks to a dogged last-wicket holdout.

They reached three figures courtesy of Starc and Josh Hazlewood, with their 25-run stand the longest of the Australian innings.

Bumrah was India’s chief destroyer with his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests.

Home hopes rested on Alex Carey as he began on 19, but after nudging two from Rana he came up against an irrepressible Bumrah.

Coming round the wicket, the Indian captain made Carey play and he nicked to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Lyon (5) did well to hang around for 16 fiery balls before gloving a short one from Rana to Rahul in the slips.

That brought Hazlewood to the crease and it seemed only a matter of time before India were batting again.

But he and Starc gamely stuck around, bringing up the 100 to huge cheers from the crowd.

It was an intelligent innings by Starc, who doggedly faced 112 balls and protected Hazlewood to add crucial extra runs before holing out Rana to Pant on 26.

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Australia captain Pat Cummins on Thursday urged new opener Nathan McSweeney not to try and emulate swashbuckling David Warner, while admitting his team had unfinished business with India.

The uncapped McSweeney will make his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener at Perth Stadium on Friday, parachuted in at the top of the order alongside Usman Khawaja after Warner’s retirement this year.

He has big shoes to fill and goes into the game having only opened once before at first-class level, in a warm-up Australia A match this month.

Cummins said he must be himself when he fronts a world-class Indian attack spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah on what is expected to be a fiery pitch.

“Davey [David Warner] is very hard to replace in many ways, but I think the most important thing for someone like Nath [Nathan McSweeney] coming in is to play his own game,” he said. “He doesn’t need to strike at 80 like Davey did if that’s not his game.”

Other than McSweeney, Australia has a settled side which is on a mission to win their first Test series against India in almost a decade.

Only Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Steve Smith remain from the squad that last won in Australia back in 2014-15.

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Since then they have slumped to four straight Border-Gavaskar series losses, including two at home.

“It’s kind of one of the last things to tick off for a lot of us,” Cummins told reporters of beating their big rival. “Almost every challenge that we’ve had thrown with us over the last few years we’ve stepped up and done well.”

“To do that for another year, another home summer, would kind of cement this.”

While Australia will go into the first of five Tests with their starting XI locked in, India is set for a shake-up after their devastating 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand.

Rohit Sharma will likely miss the match following the birth of his second child, with Bumrah assuming the captaincy.

Number three Shubman Gill is in doubt with an injured thumb, while the bowling line-up behind Bumrah is yet to be decided. Nevertheless, Cummins is under no illusions about the task ahead.

“There will always be pressure when you are playing at home,” he said. “We’re all excited, we know India are right up there with the best teams.”

“They are missing a couple of guys we are more familiar with, but we know that whoever they pick they will obviously think are good enough for Test cricket.”

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Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has issued a stern warning to those doubters of Virat Kohli, emphasizing that the star batter could make a resounding comeback in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Kohli has been under fire lately due to his below-par form, having scored a solitary half-century and averaging only 21.33 in five Test matches.

During India’s first-ever clean sweep at home in a three-match Test series against New Zealand, Kohli managed only 93 runs from six innings at an average of 15.50.

However, Shastri, who served as the head coach during Kohli’s tenure as captain, has shown his faith in the star batter.

“Well, the King is back in his territory. That’s all I will tell them,” Shastri stated in The ICC Review while responding to a question about Kohli’s critics.

The former all-rounder emphasized that Virat Kohli earned the title of ‘King’ due to his dominant batting performances in Australia, and he is likely to replicate his previous successes in the upcoming series.

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“When you’ve earned that title after your exploits in Australia, it will be on your [opponent’s] mind when you go out to bat.”

For the unversed, Kohli led India to their first-ever series victory in Australia during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He holds a stellar record in Australia, having scored 1352 runs across 13 Tests at an average of 54.08 with six centuries and four half-centuries.

Ravi Shastri advised Virat Kohli to remain calm and play naturally, avoiding reckless dismissals like in the New Zealand series.

“Your juices are flowing, you’re charged up. It’s again a case with Virat. You want to see calmness because at times you are overeager to get out there and throw the first punch,” Shastri said.

“But I think that calmness in the first half an hour where he gets out to bat or in the first three innings of the series will be extremely important. If he can be calm and play the game at his own pace rather than being in a hurry, I think he’ll be fine.”

It’s worth noting that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will start from November 22 in Perth. The second match will be played in Adelaide from December 6, followed by the third Test in Brisbane, scheduled from December 14-18.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the fourth match from December 26, while the final Test will be played in Sydney from January 3.

READ: Tim Southee announced retirement from Test cricket

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday backed “incredibly tough men” Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to prove their critics wrong and find form in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Skipper Rohit and superstar batter Kohli came under fire after India suffered a humiliating 3-0 Test series defeat against New Zealand at their home soil.

Rohit scored 91 runs in three matches, while Kohli managed just 93.

Speaking just before India flew off to Australia for a blockbuster five-match Test series, Gambhir said he had “no concerns for Virat and Rohit”.

“They are incredibly tough men,” he said. “They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well.”

Gautam Gambhir hit out at Ricky Ponting after the former Australia captain questioned the longer-term form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

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“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket?” Gambhir said.

Gambhir said the Indian team as a whole were eager to prove themselves after the New Zealand defeat, only their second Test series whitewash at home.

“I feel there is a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series,” he said.

Gambhir believes the biggest challenge in Australia will be the quicker pitches compared to India, where conditions are traditionally spin-friendly.

But Gambhir said his under-the-cosh side were ready to “fire from ball one” in a series that starts in Perth on November 22.

“We’ve been to Australia many times, so that experience will be crucial,” said the coach, who has also faced some flak.

“If we play to our potential, we play our best cricket, we can beat anyone on any wicket.”

READ: Varun Chakravarthy’s five-fer in vain as South Africa edge past India in low-scoring thriller

Uncapped opening batter Nathan McSweeney has been named in the Australia squad for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, the Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Sunday.

Australia will host India for a five-match Test series, starting from November 22 in Perth. The second match will be played in Adelaide from December 6, followed by the third Test in Brisbane, scheduled from December 14-18.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the fourth match from December 26, while the final Test will be played in Sydney from January 3.

Since David Warner retired in January, no firm contender emerged to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.

While Steve Smith initially stepped into the role, he failed to shine and will revert to his usual number four, behind Marnus Labuschagne.

Uncapped South Australian captain McSweeney, 25, became the front-runner after an impressive start to the domestic season.

However, former Test players Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, along with rising teen star Sam Konstas, were also in the picture.

It effectively culminated in a “bat-off” in two Australia A v India A four-day red-ball clashes over the past fortnight.

McSweeney put himself in pole position with an impressive unbeaten 88 in the first match at Mackay, coming in at number four.

Promoted to open for the first time ever in the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), he made just 14 and 25, but selectors had seen enough and shown faith in him to open the innings in the Perth Test.

“Nathan [McSweeney] has displayed the attributes we believe will equip him well for Test cricket along with a strong recent record in domestic cricket,” said chief selector George Bailey.

“His performances for South Australia and Australia A weighed in his favour and supports our view he is ready for the opportunity at Test level.”

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McSweeney also expressed his excitement after being selected in the Australia squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“I feel like my game’s the best it’s been, and I just can’t wait to get out there and hopefully do everyone proud,” he told reporters, adding that he was ready to face the first ball from India.

“I’ve heard that Uzzie [Usman Khawaja] is not the biggest fan of it (facing the opening delivery). I’ve already been told that by a couple of boys.

“I faced the first ball in both innings out here (against India A), so I’m comfortable with that too.”

Travis Head is set to come in at five with Mitchell Marsh filling the allrounder role after Cameron Green was ruled out of the series following surgery on his spine.

Alex Carey will be donning the wicket-keeping gloves while white-ball-opener Josh Inglis has been picked as a backup batter ahead of Harris, Bancroft and Konstas.

Bailey had previously said Inglis was not being considered as a Test opener, meaning he will be the back-up batsman.

“Josh has been in great touch in the Sheffield Shield competition and deserves his place in his first Test squad,” said Bailey.

Veteran pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc again lead the attack, alongside spin king Nathan Lyon, who will play his 130th Test in Perth, looking to add to his 530 wickets.

Scott Boland is the spare quick bowler, with fellow seamer and rival Michael Neser injured in Australia A’s game in Mackay and not considered.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

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