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India’s 3-0 drubbing at the hands of New Zealand in Australia sparked some fascinating reactions. Initially, the result was met with delight and amusement on these shores. However, thoughts quickly turned to the potential implications for India’s upcoming tour of Australia, and suddenly, the whitewash didn’t seem as amusing.
Just weeks before the Black Caps sealed their clean sweep in Mumbai, Rohit Sharma’s side was being viewed in Australia through a very different lens. Many considered them indomitable, or at the very least, the team to beat. Questions arose about whether Pat Cummins’ squad could finally turn the tables after a decade of Indian dominance.
At the time, Australia was still grappling with its own uncertainties—finding a new Test opener, determining the length of Cameron Green’s injury layoff, and wondering whether David Warner was genuinely serious about a Test comeback.
Such was the belief in India’s strength that even after losing the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, their second-innings fightback, spearheaded by Sarfaraz Khan, was hailed as proof of their prowess.
But perceptions shifted quickly after the series loss. Now, as the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy looms, the focus has flipped. Australia’s initial concerns about standing up to India have given way to doubts about whether this Indian side has the mettle to compete against a fired-up Australian team eager to reclaim the trophy.
Indian cricket finds itself at a crossroads, with a major transition seemingly on the horizon. Their last two tours to Australia were historic—breaking the drought with their first-ever series win in 2018-19 and following it with a dramatic, depth-defying victory in 2020-21. This time, however, there’s a looming sense of finality. The tour feels like the end of an era for a golden generation of Indian cricket, with several legendary players approaching the twilight of their careers.
For Australia, the stakes couldn’t be higher. While they, too, have veterans nearing the end of their careers, this series represents perhaps their last chance to lift the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Squads:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah(c), Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Abhimanyu Easwaran
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins(c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Scott Boland
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Just weeks before the Black Caps sealed their clean sweep in Mumbai, Rohit Sharma’s side was being viewed in Australia through a very different lens. Many considered them indomitable, or at the very least, the team to beat. Questions arose about whether Pat Cummins’ squad could finally turn the tables after a decade of Indian dominance.
At the time, Australia was still grappling with its own uncertainties—finding a new Test opener, determining the length of Cameron Green’s injury layoff, and wondering whether David Warner was genuinely serious about a Test comeback.
Such was the belief in India’s strength that even after losing the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, their second-innings fightback, spearheaded by Sarfaraz Khan, was hailed as proof of their prowess.
But perceptions shifted quickly after the series loss. Now, as the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy looms, the focus has flipped. Australia’s initial concerns about standing up to India have given way to doubts about whether this Indian side has the mettle to compete against a fired-up Australian team eager to reclaim the trophy.
Indian cricket finds itself at a crossroads, with a major transition seemingly on the horizon. Their last two tours to Australia were historic—breaking the drought with their first-ever series win in 2018-19 and following it with a dramatic, depth-defying victory in 2020-21. This time, however, there’s a looming sense of finality. The tour feels like the end of an era for a golden generation of Indian cricket, with several legendary players approaching the twilight of their careers.
For Australia, the stakes couldn’t be higher. While they, too, have veterans nearing the end of their careers, this series represents perhaps their last chance to lift the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Squads:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah(c), Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Abhimanyu Easwaran
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins(c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Scott Boland
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All posters please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:
1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staffs etc.
2. No making fun of player's, official's, coaching staff's names.
3. Do not add any references to media, their social media or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.
4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
. Hope they will surprised all of us.
