Former India coach Ravi Shastri has backed India’s chances of completing a hat-trick of Test series victories in Australia, continuing their recent dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The much-anticipated five-match Test series between the two cricketing giants is set to commence in November, and Shastri believes India is well-equipped to retain the prestigious trophy.
India has won the last two Test series in Australia, marking a historic achievement by holding onto the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2015, when Australia last claimed it with a 2–0 series win on home soil. While Australia managed to triumph over India in the ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval last year, Shastri is confident that India can once again emerge victorious in the upcoming series.
Shastri, who coached India to their 2–1 series win in Australia during the 2020-21 tour, acknowledges the challenges posed by Australia’s formidable fast-bowling attack. He emphasized the importance of India’s experienced batting line-up, which includes captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli, in ensuring India’s success.
“The Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia over five Test matches is going to be a humdinger,” Shastri stated. “India have beaten Australia twice on the last two tours, and Australia has not had a hand in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in almost a decade. That’s the reason why everyone will be waiting for these two heavyweights of Test match cricket over the last five to eight years to go head-to-head.”
Shastri believes that India’s chances of completing a hat-trick of series wins hinge on their ability to perform with the bat. He also highlighted the significance of India’s bowling unit, which includes fit-again pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, alongside Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja.
“It is going to be one heck of a series, and India have every chance of making it a hat-trick because they’ve got their bowlers fit, and if they can bat well, they can tickle [beat] Australia once again,” Shastri remarked.
The first Test will be held in Perth, a venue known for its fast and bouncy pitches, which will undoubtedly test India’s batting resilience. Shastri acknowledged that Australia’s pace attack, led by captain Pat Cummins, will be eager to reclaim the trophy after suffering two consecutive home series defeats against India.
