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NEW DELHI: Team India would be eyeing their third successive Test series win on the trot in Australia and the Aussies would be looking to go all guns blazing to stop the Indians in their bid in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
With captain Rohit Sharma set to miss the first Test in Perth, pressure will be on rest of the Indian batters to come good in the series.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
And the maximum pressure undoubtedly will be on India batting mainstay and former captain Virat Kohli.
With 6 hundreds from 13 Tests in Australia at an average of 54.08, Kohli has a phenomenal record in Australia but has averaged merely 22.72 in six matches in 2024, the lowest in his career.
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Former Australia captain Michael Clarke picked Virat Kohli and flamboyant keeper-batter Rishabh Pant to play decisive roles for India to win the series in Australia.
“Virat Kohli’s record in Australia in phenomenal. I actually think his record is better than what it is in India. I think he’s got six hundreds in 13 Tests in Australia,” Clarke says during an interview.
The 36-year-old Kohli has scored just one fifty this year – 70 against New Zealand in the second innings of the first Test at Bengaluru, while his last Test century came in July 2023 against the West Indies.
With India set to play the first Test in Perth from November 22, Kohli can hope to strike form from the word go.
Kohli has till now played two Tests in Perth – one at the WACA in which he scored 44 and 75 in the two innings in January 2012 which Australia won by an innings and 37 runs.
The second Test that Kohli played in Perth was as captain in 2018 and he became the first batsman to score a Test hundred at the new Perth stadium as he scored his 25th Test century at the age of 30.
Clarke continues, “If India are to win this series, it has to be Virat Kohli leading run scorer with Rishabh Pant just behind.”
During the fourth and final Test of India’s last tour of Australia at the Gabba in January 2021, Rishabh Pant played one of the most iconic innings in Test cricket history.
Pant played a fearless, match-winning knock, scoring an unbeaten 89 off 138 balls to chase down 328 runs on the fifth day as India achieved a record-breaking victory at the Gabba, a venue where Australia had been undefeated in Tests for 32 years.
The innings highlighted Pant’s fearless approach and unyielding belief, even under immense pressure. His aggressive mindset, combined with clever shot selection, helped India pull off one of the greatest chases in Test cricket.
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This was a major moment in his career and elevated his status as a cricketer who thrives in high-pressure situations and uses his attacking play style to turn games.
India need to win 4 Tests in Australia to directly qualify for the World Test Championships final that is scheduled to be held at Lord’s in June 2025.
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