Three Indian players to watch out for in Border Gavaskar series


image-ldplfchmKohli in action [Twitter]

The Border-Gavaskar series is just around the corner. The India-Australia rivalry has escalated in the last decade, and expect another fiery contest when the two teams collide against each other.

The stakes are high, especially for India. They need to win three out of the four Tests to secure a place in the WTC finals in June. But for that to happen, the Indian side have to step up, considering the fact that the Aussie are no pushovers.

So, here we look at three Indian players who can make a difference in this high-octane series.

Virat Kohli

Even Virat Kohli will admit that his Test numbers have been below average for the past two years. The former Indian captain, who used to score Test hundreds for fun, has not scored a Test ton in nearly 3.5 years. The last one came against Bangladesh in 2019.

But Australians are his favourite hunting team, so don't be surprised if Test century number 28 comes in this series. Ever since his return from a mini-break in August, Kohli has looked calm and composed, and has got his mojo back, at-least in the white-ball cricket.

But the stakes are high this time around. India need their ace player to step up, and a fired up Kohli can do it against the mighty Aussies.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja's return is a big boost for the Indian side. The all-rounder was sidelined since the Asia Cup in 2022, and even though Axar Patel has done wonders in his absence, Jadeja is an asset, especially in sub-continent pitches.

His knack of picking wickets and churning out crucial runs will be very useful. Jadeja did well in his recent outing for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy, and will be oozing with confidence. With R Ashwin a sure starter for the first Test in Nagpur, the big question is - Who will accompany him? Axar and Jaddu? Jaddu or Kuldeep? Or Axar and Kuldeep?

Suryakumar Yadav

India's very own Mr 360, SKY has soared high in the T20Is, and was a surprise call-up in the Indian squad for the Test series. But he brings a different dynamism to this side. What he does on the field, nobody else can do that. 

With Rishabh Pant out for an indefinite period due to his accident, India need an X factor to counter the Aussies, and maybe Rahul Dravid and co. can spring a surprise when the playing XI gets announced for the Nagpur Test. Moreover, with Shreyas Iyer also out of the first Test because of an injury, the chances are high that the Nagpur crowd gets to witness the SKY magic in Test cricket.


Also Read: Sanjay Bangar underlines Australia series as crucial for Rohit Sharma