A Test rivalry on epic contest and stirring comeback gets its latest edition as India and Australia face off in the first Test in Nagpur from Thursday. The Ashes and games involving India and Pakistan have had their share of history and hype and within that ecosystem, India and Australia have forged a unique fabric that VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh created magic at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Has been shining since. 2001. There should be interesting performances during this four-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a silverware that India have had a better grip on especially during the past decade, whether at home or away. The usual surround-sound may have been muted and now only whispers have started about spin-friendly pitches. While that remains a superficial tension, Usman Khawaja’s delayed departure for India over the visa issue does not reflect well on the bureaucratic red-tapism that may have started since the Australian has his roots in Pakistan. Pat Cummins and his men have trained away from flashbulbs, and prefer to hide out in the Alur grounds on the outskirts of Bengaluru. On tough pitches against their own spinners and local talent, Steve Smith and Co. have honed their skill sets against the slower arts.
As the Test caravan moves on to Nagpur, Delhi, Dharamsala and Ahmedabad, the stakes are high in this bilateral clash. The ICC Test Championship is inching towards its business end with the final being held at the Oval in London from June 7-11. June may seem far away, but there is not much time left for the Test cycle as April and May are heavily involved with the Indian side. Premier League T20 Tournament. Australia with 75.56 percentage points is ahead of India (58.93), Sri Lanka (53.33) and South Africa (48.72) in the table. With one leg in the final, Australia will also go through with one draw and three losses against India. However, a 0–4 defeat to India, combined with Sri Lanka to beat New Zealand twice, would mean that Cummins and the gang would not play in the final. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma’s men can keep their championship hopes alive by winning the series 4-0 or 3-1. However, a 2–2 draw against Australia with Sri Lanka winning 2–0 in New Zealand would mean India would drop below the top two and miss out on the summit clash. India are in the lead but Australia are eager to rewrite history. And the icing on the cake would be making it to the Test Championship final.