India is all set to begin the first test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at the OPTUS Stadium in Perth on Friday. With the weather forecast predicting rain and gloomy conditions, the wicket for the first test is expected to be bowler-friendly. Jasprit Bumrah has won the toss and India is batting first.
As India has come to Australia to chase their fifth-successive Border-Gavaskar Trophy series win and a hat-trick of wins in Australia, fans would be hoping that history indeed repeats itself this time. With team's chances of advancing to their third-successive ICC World Test Championship hanging by a thread, fans have been left praying for a miraculous effort that would ease the pain of a rare setback at home, a whitewash 0-3 loss to New Zealand, the first home Test loss for India after 12 years.
A series defeat could not only send India packing out of WTC title contention, but perhaps bring an early and sad end to team's core of skipper Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, veteran all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, who all have mesmerised the cricket fraternity with their record-breaking feats every year. In case it happens, it would be a deja-vu feeling for fans who saw likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir leave international cricket one by one following 0-4 whitewash loss to Aussies in 2011-12 away from home.
While the pessimist fans left frustrated after a surrender at home await and prepare themselves for the ouster of India's superstars at the end of a star-studded Aussie bowling quartet of skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon, there have been a lot of positive fans as well, who are optimistic that not only these veterans fight back to preserve their legacies, but also the youth of Indian cricket will emerge after a standout series Down Under.
For the ones on the positive side of the spectrum, the memories of an inspirational 2020-21 series win, which also included an iconic win at the Gabba, Australia's first loss at the venue in 32 years, are still fresh. India pulled off the series win under toughest of circumstances. After the first Adelaide Test, which saw India surrender by folding to their historically lowest total of 36 runs, Virat left the series due to birth of his first child. Though India bounced back with a memorable win at Melbourne in the second Test, there were injuries devouring India's powerful bowling line-up one by one. By the time fourth Test started, injuries spared no one, be it Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
