The anticipation around the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy is palpable. India are Australia are slated to square off in a five-match Test series for the first time in over three decades.
The marquee series is slated to get underway on November 22 in Perth and the action will then shift to Adelaide (December 6-10), where both teams will face each other in a Day-Night Test. The last three Tests are set to take place in Brisbane (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30), and Sydney (January 3-7).
India have won the last two Test series on Australian soil, while they have held onto the coveted BGT since March 2017. However, the situation is a lot different this time around as the Indian team will travel Down Under on the back of a first-ever 0-3 whitewash on home soil.
India lost the Test matches against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai. This outcome also marked the end of their remarkable streak of 18 consecutive home Test series victories.
Nonetheless, former cricketer Ajay Jadeja backed India to complete a hat-trick of Test series wins in Australia as he called the home series loss to New Zealand a ‘wake up call’.
“You get a wake up call, like our team did now. We won the World Cup this year, [you’re] top of the world, you’re the best team, and best captain. Rohit Sharma, I feel for him. Suddenly he is fat, he does not move well.
“I think we’ll do well. We may not do as well as to make it to the World Test Championship final but I feel we should come back with a series win. We are a better side,” Jadeja said during the Sportstar Sports Conclave.
Jadeja further explained why he expects the Indian team to do well in Australian conditions. “Our cricket has changed, earlier India went there once in eight years so there were just one or two players who had played there. Now you have multiple tours, so they are well equipped. When you have nothing to lose, you will be dangerous,” he stated.
Citing the example of Jasprit Bumrah, Ajay Jadeja highlighted the importance of mental fortitude and self-belief to bounce back from a setback at the international level.
“When you are at that level, it is mental and how you train for it. People think you train for muscles, but you actually train for your mind. It is the mind, a lot of players have great skill but things don’t work.
“Bumrah is a great example. Everyone looks at his action, now he’s succeeded so everyone appreciates it now. But imagine his mental strength at 15 or 16 when coaches would have told him to change his action. But he had the belief and the mental strength to carry on. I’m sure he worked as hard on his physical strength too. But to have carried on with that action when everything is dissected and examined forensically is remarkable,” Jadeja said.
Rishabh Pant played an instrumental role in India’s 2-1 victory during the 2020-21 tour of Australia. Jadeja expects the wicketkeeper-batter to hold a key for the visitors this time around as well.
“He is freakish, he is brilliant and as long as he‘s playing, he will be the best. My only worry is what happens with these geniuses. You fear them and what they do next. How do you tame them? You got to enjoy them as long as it lasts. As soon as you try to tame them, you take away their brilliance. It is a double-edged sword,” Jadeja said.
