India vs Australia 2024: A Test of Grit and Glory at Optus Stadium

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 comes about with a tremendous build-up as India vs Australia clash on November 22, 2024, for a highly anticipated first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Under enormous pressure to deliver an excellent performance, Team India, being the defending champions of the trophy, has its work cut out for it – especially after that heart-wrenching 3-0 loss in the recent home series against New Zealand. This series is not only a redemption opportunity but a vital one to qualify for the World Test Championship final.

Challenging Start for India

India’s team is in for a tough time before the series opener. The country has lost its first-choice skipper, Rohit Sharma, who has returned to India for personal reasons. This leaves the side without a proven leader at the top order, while injuries have also forced the country’s preferred No.3 batter, Shubman Gill, out of consideration. In all likelihood, this will open up a space for Devdutt Padikkal, whose little experience with such a tour can be a factor of uncertainty for India.

The team still seems determined to counter Australia’s strong record at the Optus Stadium. Known for its pace and bounce, the Perth pitch has historically tilted in favor of the hosts, who haven’t lost a Test here yet. Australia too hasn’t disappointed in Pink Ball Tests. India needs to go above and beyond expectations to take charge.

Potential Indian XI Without Gill

Shubman Gill is ruled out. Playing XI for India could look like this:

• KL Rahul
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Virat Kohli
• Rishabh Pant (wk)
• Dhruv Jurel
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Washington Sundar
• Jasprit Bumrah (c)
• Akash Deep
• Mohammed Siraj

The two young players in the mix are Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, who will prove how good they are at handling challenging Australian conditions. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will be mainstays for their all-round skills and bowling. The pace will be spearheaded by Bumrah, Siraj, and Akash Deep.

Possible XI With Gill

If Gill gets fit in time, the team could get a slight reshuffle:

• KL Rahul
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Shubman Gill
• Virat Kohli
• Rishabh Pant (wk)
• Dhruv Jurel
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Washington Sundar
• Jasprit Bumrah (c)
• Akash Deep
• Mohammed Siraj

Gill’s inclusion will certainly help bolster the batting significantly and give India an opportunity to construct a good start against the pace prowess of the Australians.

The Road Ahead

Predicted favorites for the series, Australia is quite simply the “godfather of cricket“, and dominating the sport over the years is not new to this team. The well-planned schedulers with a seamless home record don’t exactly bode well for India. That being said, India has always performed better under pressure. A redemption story on cards for India, every session will test their mettle and skills in this series.

The success on the field for India depends more on winning 4-0, but to reach the finals, they need to win the challenging match against Australia first. Everyone is watching this fight, and with Winexch, people can watch live cricket for free, ensuring that more people get a chance to see this drama play out.