NEW DELHI: The eagerly awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will commence on November 22, with the opening Test match taking place at Perth.
Adelaide Oval will host the second Test from December 6 to 10, featuring the innovative day-night format beneath the venue’s floodlights. The action then shifts to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, scheduled from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test will unfold at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30, marking the fourth encounter of the series.
The Sydney Cricket Ground will stage the fifth and final Test from January 3 to 7, bringing this significant cricket contest to its conclusion, with both teams vying for supremacy.
Here’s a look at some of the new players in the Indian squad for the series:
Yashasvi Jaiswal
All eyes will be on young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal as he embarks on his maiden tour of Australia and faces the hosts for the first time in his career. The left-handed opener is currently the only in-form top-order batter in the Indian team. However, he had a disappointing outing during last month’s series whitewash against New Zealand at home.
Yashasvi Jaiswal made history by becoming the youngest Indian to score 1,000 Test runs in a single calendar year during the second Test against New Zealand. At 22, he broke the previous record set by Dilip Vengsarkar, who had reached the milestone at 23 in 1979.
Currently, Jaiswal sits second on the list of highest Test run-scorers in 2024, trailing only England’s Joe Root, who has accumulated 1,338 runs in 14 matches. Jaiswal has been in exceptional form, amassing 1,119 runs in just 11 matches, with an average of 55.95, including two centuries and seven half-centuries.
Abhimanyu Easwaran
The 29-year-old opener from Bengal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, has been a consistent presence in India’s Test squads recently, following over a decade of hard work in domestic cricket. With a solid track record, he brings the experience and credentials needed to inspire confidence in the team management – and in himself – should he be called upon to open in Rohit Sharma’s absence during the early matches in Perth or Adelaide.
Abhimanyu has previously featured in two India A games in Australia and boasts an impressive domestic resume, with 101 first-class matches under his belt, amassing 7674 runs at an outstanding average of 48.87.
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Nitish Kumar Reddy, a key player for Sunrisers Hyderabad during their IPL 2024 final run, made his T20I debut against Bangladesh last month. At just 21, Reddy has showcased his middle-order batting prowess for some time, with standout performances like his explosive knocks in the IPL.
He continued his impressive form in international cricket with a match-winning 74 off 34 balls in the second T20I against Bangladesh, where he also impressed with the ball, picking up two wickets while opening the bowling.
Captain Jasprit Bumrah also praised Nitish Kumar Reddy, signaling that the team management is deeply invested in the young all-rounder’s abilities, which could provide the perfect balance to the Indian XI.
Harshit Rana
Harshit Rana, a towering fast bowler from Delhi, stands as the most novice member of the squad, including reserves, with merely 10 first-class matches under his belt. His unique trajectory saw him make his IPL debut for Kolkata Knight Riders before stepping into senior domestic cricket.
At the season’s commencement, Rana showcased his skills in the Duleep Trophy, securing two impressive four-wicket hauls as an opening bowler. His performance in IPL 2024 was particularly noteworthy, emerging as KKR’s leading pace bowler with 19 wickets and an economy rate of 9.08 in their championship-winning season. His progress likely caught the attention of Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar, who have transitioned from KKR’s management to the Indian cricket setup.
Devdutt Padikkal
Top-order batsman Devdutt Padikkal, who toured with the India A side for two four-day matches, has been asked to stay back as a batting backup by the BCCI due to the absence of captain Rohit Sharma and No. 3 batter Shubman Gill, who is sidelined with a fractured finger, ahead of the opening Test against Australia.
If Gill remains sidelined, Padikkal is in line to take the field for the second time in the format, having made his debut against England in March.
In fact, Padikkal looked one step closer to being certain of playing the first Test with BCCI’s official handles sharing a video of his experience of being back with the national side one day before the game.