Border-Gavaskar Trophy is been the most highly anticipated series of world cricket, and whenever India and Australia face each other the clashes of fireworks always happen. Australian cricketers and ex cricketers have already started playing mind games by stating 10 years of unfinished business and predicting the scoreline of the iconic series.
India has dethroned Australia past 2 series in Australia, but just once Australia dethroned India in the WTC final and that was the biggest upset that India couldn’t digest. This time the series will be of 5 matches so the excitement will be on the seventh-heaven.
Geoff Lawson feels the crowd won’t support much Virat Kohli
Relation between Virat Kohli and Australia is very old, and whenever Virat Kohli plays against Aussies his game improves a lot and it challenges him at every stage. Virat will be touring Australia for the fourth time, he was at its peak when he toured in 2014, he was ruling over Australia and from then we got to know the beast mode of Virat Kohli. But former Australian player Geoff Lawson feels Virat Kohli won’t get much from the crowd, but he further also said that speedster Jasprit Bumrah will get more support than Virat Kohli considering the comeback in Australia after 3 years. Geoff Lawson said:
“Virat Kohli will play the faux villain to Jasprit Bumrah’s likable nature. Bumrah has the fast bowler privilege of [spending] half a life at fine leg which gives him the ideal chance to interact with the crowd, winning smiles and hearts while Kohli will lurk in the infield appealing vociferously, fielding magnificently and engaging verbally with any Australian player so inclined to conversation, and there will be one or two of those.”
“Aussie crowds love a competitor like Kohli, they may give him some grief if he plays the antagonist but you can guarantee that if he makes 50s and 100s he will be loudly applauded by the fans. He has shown a liking for Australian conditions ever since his first tour 13 years ago. Bounce and pace suited his two-footed game but the question in 2024 is whether he still has the razor sharpness to best Australia’s attack on their home surfaces. I wouldn’t count him out,” stated Lawson.
“Pat Cummins may smile a lot but his competitiveness is ingrained and powerful. Having hinted at a never-faltering mindset, some Australian players have been quoted as having unfinished business. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been loaned to the BCCI for a decade, it’s time to get it back on the trophy shelves in Jolimont [Cricket Australia’s headquarters in Victoria]. Australia may hold the World Test Championship but without a home series win against India, the crown sits unsteadily,” said Lawson.
Highly anticipated series will be commencing from November 22 at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Will India be able to lift the trophy for third time in Australia or hosts will create an upset?