It’s that time of the year when the red Kookaburra is raring to go once again as Australia takes on India to win back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The hype has been created already, and the Aussies are in their full strength. The series brings in a lot of positivity too, and that’s not just with respect to the game but in the lives of the fans as well. 2020 as we all have experienced, had very little to offer, and to be able to watch a competitive game of cricket with spectators back on the fields does give us immense joy and a ray of hope to see a better tomorrow.
This season of cricket brings in a lot of good memories too. I still remember waking up early on a chill winter morning just to see Sourav Ganguly and team take on Steve Waugh and the mighty Australian team and win a test on their home soil in the 2003/04 series. Memories of Rahul Dravid’s heroics at the Adelaide Oval, Sachin Tendulkar’s masterclass at the SCG, and the jaw dropping performances by Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman still gives us goosebumps. But what set the tone in that series was the 144 by Ganguly at the Gabba, Brisbane announcing the arrival of an Indian team that had come to win. If India has to do well this time again, we would need someone to set the tone of the series like Ganguly did in 2003.
The Game of Pink
The first D/N Test starts tomorrow and is to be played with the Pink ball. As exciting as it seems, this is only the second time that India will be playing with the Pink Kookaburra ball while Australia has the right amount of experience with it. It is fair to say that Australia has the edge over India apart from the fact that they would be playing on their home soil.
India would be looking to make the most of the first test as it’s Virat Kohli’s final game in the tour, after which he would be on paternity leave. If India has to win this series, they cannot afford to lose the first test as things would only get worse. With no Warner in the first game, Steve Smith is the key to the Australian batting, and getting the better of him would not be an easy task.
The Playing XI
India
Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah
It would have been a tough call for Kohli to leave Gill behind, looking at the kind of form he is in right now, but it would do a world of good to Prithvi Shaw’s confidence, and he should make the most of this opportunity. It seems as if the management sees Gill more as a middle-order player, which is why he probably batted at no. 3 in the Practice games. Picking Saha over Rishabh Pant wasn’t an easy choice either, but it’s good to see the management go for a wicket-keeping specialist considering the importance of the series.
The Stage is set. Let the games begin.
Cow Corner 