India in Australia: Can India beard the lion in Australia's den?

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy could thrash any other bilateral series in a gossip-mongering competition. Even Jeff Bezos might flirt with bankruptcy for once but there won't ever be a shortage of narratives as the India vs Australia circus rolls into the town. The live bulletin runs the gamut from Rohit Sharma's hamstring to Virat Kohli's paternity leave, which divided opinions even more starkly than BBL letting loose a few rats in the attic named Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost. Viewer discretion is advised if you want to delve deeper, for it might stoke the ire of purists belonging to the old school of thought. 

It's the ritual of psychological warfare that follows as Steve Smith provoked India to bring on the short stuff with a splendid lack of concern for a certain Neil Wagner laughing in the corner. Last but not least, the jury is out on who should partner David Warner at the top between the old bloke Joe Burns or the newfangled run-machine that is Will Pucovski. Good luck keeping a tab on all that buzz and chatter. For after fat IPL paychecks and a dozen of nasal swabs later, the cream of the crop hustle Down Under to secure bragging rights in this fast-and-furious rivalry. 

For those wondering about the length and breadth of the package, well it's the cricketing equivalent of a million-dollar jackpot. The show drums on the road with the limited-overs candy, three ODI and T20s apiece, before Tim Paine's love affair with the stump mic grows through a quartet of Tests. Adelaide might play host to a pink-ball affair but nothing's cast in stone owing to the inter-state border restrictions.

Australia ODI, T20: Green, Henriques crack the limited-overs code 

Cameron Green is the fresh face in Australia's white-ball roster while Moises Henriques has earned a recall after last donning national colours in 2017. Sydney Sixers captain Henriques marshalled his troops to Big Bash glory last season and his 167 for New South Wales in Sheffield Shield caught the selectors' eye. Green, likewise, has ruled the roost in the domestic sphere over the last two years. A first-class batting average of 52.23 paints a vivid picture. The right-hander bludgeoned a 197 in the ongoing edition of Shield to support his 158* earlier in the year. No one-trick pony though, his credentials boast of a five-wicket haul on debut aged sweet seventeen.

“Cameron's domestic form has been outstanding and he has carried it through for Western Australia this summer. As a potential player of the future this is an opportunity for him to be part of the squad and build on his experience.”, selection chief Trevor Hohns threw weight behind his panel's latest pick. 

Daniel Sams, who plied his trade for Delhi Capitals in the IPL as a substitute for Jason Roy, comprised of Australia’s travelling party for their tour of England in September and has subsequently retained his slot. Mitchell Marsh is nursing a twisted ankle and will continue to be monitored. Hohns is optimistic about the all-rounder being good to go come Australia A's red-ball fixture against India in the build-up to the real deal. 

Off-spinners Nathan Lyon and Chris Green have to wait in the wings with batsman Josh Philippe and seamer Riley Meredith for company. In a recent development, Andrew Tye replaced Kane Richardson in Australia's ODI and T20I fold after the latter withdrew from the squad to cherish the precious moments with his wife and their newborn son. Lyon, Philippe, Meredith and Tye were all nuts and bolts of the extended squad in England.

Australia Test: Legends raring to go while new flowers bloom 

For those living under a rock, David Warner and Steve Smith have resumed business and the creases in India's forehead are bound to multiply. The duo was serving their suspensions when Tim Paine and his troops bit the dust in what was their arch-nemesis' first series victory on Australian soil. It did take a bit of sheen away from India's elbow grease but rest assured, there won't be any soft corners this time around.

Will Pucovski engaged his bluster mode in the early rounds of the Sheffield hub, with 495 runs at an incredulous 247.5 fetching him a richly-deserved baggy green for India's blockbuster visit. Cameron Green has simultaneously cracked the nod for the purest version, hence the gun-performing rookies will splash a layer of exuberance to Australia's canvas. Sean Abbott and Michael Neser, primarily speed demons are no mugs with the bat either. Both the utility cricketers scored their maiden first-class hundreds this season. Talk about depth in batting.

India Test: Injuries the thorn in India's flesh; Siraj and KL Rahul reap rewards

While BCCI's decision to grant expectant father Virat Kohli a paternity leave is worthy of applause, such is the magnitude of his presence that a few quarters have already jumped the gun on India's challenge in the Test arena. For justifiable reason too, with talismans of the ilk of Warner and Smith joining the party. The skipper flying back home means the visitors are ought to play three of the four rubbers - in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane - without their batting aficionado cum constant cheerleader. Ajinkya Rahane, the designated vice-captain, who has previously shouldered the responsibility against Australia and Afghanistan, is likely to assume the captaincy duties. 

Rohit Sharma's injury status became the talk of the town since he took the field for Mumbai Indians in their final league game despite being rested as a precautionary measure from the coloured-clothing window of the Australian assignment. Voices from some corners even accused him of paddling his franchises' canoe while putting national interests at stake. He sparked a match-winning 68 in the battle royale against Delhi Capitals, perchance playing through pain, which provided further ammunition to his detractors. Rohit is currently undergoing strength and conditioning rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in his aspirations of boarding the flight to Australia. 

"Hamstring is feeling absolutely fine. Just started the process of getting it nice and strong. Before I play the longer format, I needed to be clear in mind that there is no stone that is left unturned, that's probably the reason, I'm at the NCA," Rohit offered an update much to the whole country's relief, which expects him to do the heavy lifting in Kohli's absence. A vital cog in India's wheel, Ishant Sharma was also provisionally left out of the reckoning and is currently going through the paces at NCA in Bengaluru after an abdominal muscle tear not only halted his IPL 2020 stint mid-way but also put his availability for the marquee trip in jeopardy. He'll be slotted into the fray upon achieving match fitness, a media release issued by BCCI brought to public notice.

Orange-cap holder KL Rahul's pyrotechnics for Kings XI Punjab have managed to hurl a blanket over his dismal record in white flannels. Incidentally, Rahul was relegated to the comforts of state cricket after a nightmare in West Indies last year, where he huffed and puffed to 101 runs from four innings. He wasn't onboard in the A side for the itinerary of New Zealand either. Shubman Gill, who breezed 136 in the second unofficial tie, hung on to his place alongside the misfiring Prithvi Shaw. The trio is accompanied by fellow returnee Kuldeep Yadav whose chinamans yield a cushion of the frontline spin twins in the pecking order, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Head coach Ravi Shastri's hyperbole of the mystery dealer Kuldeep emerging as the first-choice spinner on away turf hasn't aged that well.

Mohammed Siraj put his nose to the grindstone for Hyderabad and India A, bagging an eight-wicket haul against Australia A in 2018 and making merry with a couple of fifers and four-fers versus South Africa A and West Indies A respectively in their own backyards, and his application for level up-gradation has been duly processed. The wiry speedster is now the youngest wolf in the pack of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, and Navdeep Saini.

India ODI, T20: Horses for courses and a promotion that wasn't

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's tryst with injuries has devoid him of a berth in the travelling contingent to Australia. Niggles have engulfed the swing merchant like a foul smell from 2018 onwards, with a thigh muscle strain posing a problem at the moment. Mohammed Shami will fill the void with Shardul Thakur sufficing a robust back-up option. The axe hasn't spared Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw post their lukewarm returns throughout the IPL. The frustratingly fascinating southpaw did break the jinx with a valiant half-century in the grand finale, but the damage had been done by then.

Sanju Samson has been drafted into the ODI ring as an alternative just in case KL Rahul cops a body blow. Deepak Chahar was a force to be reckoned with in the PowerPlay cauldron and would look forward to replicating his brilliance in the slam-bang format. Primed to don the magnificent blue jersey on grounds of a crackerjack IPL, Varun Chakravathy's fairytale screeched to a halt courtesy a shoulder pop as Thangarasu Natarajan receives his maiden call of national duty. The left-armer enjoyed a watershed campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad, claiming 16 wickets from as many games at an economy of 8.02. The most searing arrow in his quiver is his propensity to deliver picture-perfect yorkers at will. 

27th November is nothing short of a holy grail for cricket fandom spread across the globe. New Zealand lock horns with West Indies in Auckland, South Africa cross swords with world champions England in Cape Town, and then the mother of hype-generators. India versus Australia. The ultimate clash of the titans under the glaring luminescence of floodlights. There's a special place reserved in hell for those who dare miss it.

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