New Delhi: Former Australian captain Brad Haddin has expressed his belief that Indian batsmen will face challenges against the formidable bowling lineup in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He highlighted that for young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is embarking on his maiden trip to Australia, batting in the first Test in Perth will be a significant challenge.
The inaugural Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to be held at Perth's Optus Stadium from November 22 onwards. This series is of paramount importance for both teams' chances in the ICC World Test Championship final. The Australians are aiming to secure a strong start in their quest to prevent a series-high of three consecutive losses to India at home, while the Indians are determined to make a strong comeback after suffering a humiliating whitewash against New Zealand in the previous Test series, their first loss at home in 12 years.
In an interview on the Willow Talk Podcast with Australia's T20 winning captain Aaron Finch on Monday, Brad stated, "I'm not convinced that the Indian batsmen will be able to withstand our pace. Jaiswal is undoubtedly a talented player, but his lack of experience facing Australia makes it uncertain how he will manage the bounce. Opening in Perth will be a demanding task."
Since his debut last year, Jaiswal has established himself as one of the most dynamic Test openers, known for his ability to score quickly and significantly. He has accumulated 1,407 runs at an average of 56.28, including three centuries and eight fifties, with his highest score being 214*.
However, his only tour to the South African, English, New Zealand, and Australian (SENA) countries, which began in December 2023 and is scheduled to conclude in January 2024, was underwhelming, with him scoring just 50 runs across four innings, with his best score being 28. These tours are of great importance for Indian batsmen as they represent some of the most challenging environments for India since its international debut.
Following the conclusion of the match in Perth, the second Test, which will feature the day-night format, is scheduled to be played at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. The series will then move to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled to take place from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's renowned Melbourne Cricket Ground, will signify the culmination of the series' penultimate stage.
The fifth and concluding Test is slated to be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, from January 3 to 7, offering a thrilling finale to a series that has been highly anticipated.
The India squad for the Border-Gavaskar Series includes: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
The Australian squad for the inaugural Test includes: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchel Jones.
