New heroes: On India and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series
It has been a tale of contrasting Indian performances in cricket over the last few weeks. India’s home dominance, especially in Tests, ground to a halt as the visiting New Zealanders swept the series 3-0. However, an entirely different squad under Suryakumar Yadav donned their blue jerseys, flew to South Africa and won the T20I series 3-1. An inexplicable fragility against spin in Tests and a domineering aura in T20Is are evident. While this backstory has its distinct ebb and flow, the next seven weeks should offer an entirely new perspective, besides the attendant hype, as India and Australia clash in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series with the first Test commencing at Perth’s massive Optus Stadium on Friday (November 22, 2024). With five Tests scheduled across Australia through the southe...