EXPLAINER

What’s at stake as India face world Test champions Australia in the five-match series? Who are the key players? Al Jazeera answers.

Cricket powerhouses India and Australia are set to renew their fierce rivalry in a five-match Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which gets under way in Perth on Friday.

Millions of fans around the world are expected to follow the series as some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Steve Smith, take to the field for seven and a half weeks of Test cricket action in the Australian summer.

Here’s everything you need to know about the series:

What’s the full match schedule of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?

• First Test, Perth Stadium, Perth: November 22-26, 2024 from 10:20am (02:20 GMT) to 5:20pm (09:20 GMT)
• Second Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide: December 6-10, 2024 from 2:30pm (04:00 GMT) to 10pm (11:30 GMT)
• Third Test, Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane: December 14-18, 2024 from 10:20am (00:20 GMT) to 5:20pm (07:20 GMT)
• Fourth Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne: December 26-30, 2024 from 10:30am (11:30 GMT) to 5:30pm (18:30 GMT)
• Fifth Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney: January 3-7, 2025 from 10:30am (11:30 GMT) to 5:30pm (18:30 GMT)

What’s at stake in the India vs Australia Test series?

Apart from the tangible – a shiny golden trophy – both teams will be fighting for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final 2025.

A series win for India could consolidate their Test dominance over their rivals, while an Australian win could mark a shift in power to the Southern Hemisphere.

Under one week 🤩

How excited are we for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series? pic.twitter.com/utXnzjMoIS

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) November 15, 2024

How can India and Australia qualify for the World Test Championship 2025 final?

The WTC leaderboard is determined by percentage points and, before the opening match, Australia pip India by 4.2 percentage points. The current champions are on 62.50 points, with India on 58.33 points.

Sri Lanka (55.56), New Zealand (54.55) and South Africa (54.17) are separated by 1.39 points with all top five set to play at least one Test series each until the WTC final in June.

For India to qualify without depending on the results of other series, they must beat Australia with a minimum of a 4-0 scoreline.

The hosts, meanwhile, must win five of their seven remaining Tests to seal their place in a second consecutive WTC final. Should Australia beat India 4-0, they would need to beat Sri Lanka (away) 1-0.

Who are the key Indian players to watch?

• Virat Kohli: Arguably India’s biggest sports star of his generation, Kohli has historically relished the opportunity to set his record straight and silence his critics with standout performances in important series. The flamboyant batting great enters the series on the back of a lean patch – by his high standards – that has seen him score just one century in his last 10 Test matches. But if there’s one country Kohli loves touring, it’s Australia. Outside India, Kohli’s highest Test average (54.08) and most Test centuries (six) have come in Australia.
• Rohit Sharma: The Indian captain is likely to miss the first Test match for personal reasons, but Rohit will be eager to brush aside his recent poor form and make an impact on the series with his influence as a leader and ability to score quick runs. The 37-year-old will also look to set right his unimpressive Test record in Australia, where he averages 31.38 in seven Tests with 63 being his highest score. Should the attacking right-hand find his best form, India will be confident of posing a stiff challenge to the hosts.
• Jasprit Bumrah: India’s vice-captain, who will lead the side in the opening Test due to Rohit’s absence, is widely regarded as one of the leading fast bowlers of his generation. His pace and skills are likely to go up a notch on the bouncy and skiddy Australian pitches, particularly in Perth, and the 30-year-old’s performance will play a key role in India’s success during the series.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal: The young opener has swiftly established himself as a mainstay in the Indian Test side but has yet to play a Test series against Australia. Touted as one of the batters to watch in the next decade or so, Jaiswal will look to make his mark against the reigning Test champions on this crucial tour.
• Sarfraz Khan: For a batter who likes to play risky, high-scoring shots and take on fast bowlers, a Test series Down Under may prove to be a make-or-break trip for Sarfraz’s career. The 27-year-old likes putting on big scores and at a high strike rate. The likes of Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood, though, will prove a tough challenge for the Mumbai batsman.

Ravi Shastri says underestimate Virat Kohli at your peril 🏏

More from the #ICCReview 👉 https://t.co/stBa2VmBbo pic.twitter.com/X9kpNETd3Z

— ICC (@ICC) November 15, 2024

Who are the key Australian players to watch?

• • Travis Head: A constant thorn in the Indian team’s side, Head’s performance at the top of the batting order will set the tone for the rest of the Australian batting order against their great rivals. The opener’s poor form may be a concern for the hosts but if there’s a team Head has enjoyed facing in recent years, it’s India. Be it the World Test Championship final or the 50-over World Cup final – both in 2023 – Head has managed to get on top of the Indian bowling lineups in crucial games.
  • Steve Smith: Smith, along with Kohli, is among the most highly-rated batters over the past decade and a half. The former Australian captain has not scored a Test century since June 2023 but he loves playing against India. Smith averages 65.87, with nine centuries, in 19 Tests against the visitors.
  • Pat Cummins: Australia’s calm captain is one of the most lethal and accurate fast bowlers in the world, who thrives in home conditions. Cummins is also an effective lower-order batter who is capable of not only scoring runs, but also protecting the tail-end players in tough situations.
  • Mitchell Starc: The left-handed pace menace leads the hosts’ bowling attack. Starc has taken 48 wickets in his 18 Tests against India and 35 of them have come in Australia. The 34-year-old’s pace and form could have a big role to play in the outcome of the series.
  • Nathan Lyon: Veteran off-break bowler Lyon’s wicket-taking abilities often fly under the radar, thanks to his fast-bowling teammates’ exploits. The 36-year-old has 121 Indian dismissals to his name in 27 Tests at a bowling average of 31.56. Lyon is among the leading wicket-takers for Australia in recent Test matches, with 22 wickets in five Tests against India since February 2023.

Which Indian and Australian players could make their Test debuts?

• Abhimanyu Easawaran: India
• Harshit Rana: India
• Nitish Kumar Reddy: India
• Nathan McSweeney: Australia
• Josh Inglis: Australia

What’s the head-to-head record of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?

The bilateral Test series between India and Australia have been contested under this title since 1996-97, when India won the lone Test at home to bag the trophy.

In total, the series has been played 16 times and India have emerged victorious on 10 occasions, with five series wins going Australia’s way and one drawn series in 2003-04.

Here’s how the last five series went:

• Australia in India (2022-23): India won the four-match series 2-1
• India in Australia (2020-21): India won the four-match series 2-1
• India in Australia (2018-19): India won the four-match series 2-1
• Australia in India (2016-17): India won the four-match series 2-1
• India in Australia (2014-15): Australia won the four-match series 2-0

Australia’s squad

For first Test: Pat Cummins (captain), Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India’s squad

For the series: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar