India’s unprecedented dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Kaustuvmoni Das

(kdas5349@gmail.com)

As the Indian men’s cricket team is going to lock horns with the Pat Cummins-led Australian cricket team in the 5-match Border-Gavaskar Test Series from November 22, 2024, the Indian cricket fans are looking excited to see their cricket heroes in action. Though India has always been a favourite in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), as it won 10 series out of 16 since 1996, this time the scenario will be somewhat tense in the Indian dressing room as the same team has been badly outplayed recently by the Blackcaps in the home series with a 3-0 whitewash. 

If we look at the history of BGT, it started way back in 1996, when both countries decided to rename the Test match series between India and Australia to honour the cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar of India and Australian iconic all-rounder Allan Border. The first series was played in 1996-1997 in Delhi under the Sachin Tendulkar captaincy, where India won the series 1-0 and unsurfaced the stage for an enduring rivalry. Since its inception, India has been showcasing unprecedented dominance in the BGT. This year the contention is at its top, as the last four series have been won by Team India with 2-1 (4), 2-1 (4), 2-1 (4), and 2-1 (4) in 2016-17, 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2022-23, respectively. As the trophy is in Indian hands, the Kangaroos will surely give their best to win the series before the home crowd. It may be mentioned here that, from 2024–25, the BGT series is shifting to a 5-match series from its traditional 4-match series, adding an ignition in the age-long rivalry.

India has displayed its remarkable skills in all departments on Australian soil by trashing the Aussies on their home grounds, where India won three series and the historic draw in 2003-04 with 1-1. The Kangaroos have registered their first win on Indian soil in the 2004-05 series, with 2-1 marking their tremendous achievement in a well-fought series. On the other hand, India secured its first win on Australian soil in the 2018-19 series under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. In that historic series win from the Indian side, Cheteshwar Pujara was the highest run getter with 521 runs in a 4-match series (3 hundreds & 1 fifty), following Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli.

India will certainly be able to keep its winning momentum in the 2024-25 BGT starting in Perth from November 22nd, 2024, keeping in mind the World Test Championship (WTC) as Sri Lanka and New Zealand stand as close competitors to replace India from the second spot in the WTC standings. If Team India loses a match in the series, then its hope for qualification in the WTC final may be broken.

So, it is crucial to show its temperament in high from the first test to dilute the crowd as well as field pressure. Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja must show their mettle to keep the Aussies calm in the field. Hopefully, Team India will keep its supremacy in Test cricket by winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the Australian Summer of Cricket.