India vs Australia 2023: 10 key questions answered before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicks off

The much-hyped India-Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2023 will kick off with the first Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Thursday, February 9.

The iconic series began with a one-off Test in Delhi in 1996, with Sachin Tendulkar-led India beating Mark Taylor’s Australia by seven wickets. Due to the quality of the contest, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has gone on to achieve cult status, on par with the Ashes and the India-Pakistan rivalry.

India and Australia have clashed 15 times in BGT, with India winning the series nine times and the Aussies on five occasions. Only one series between the two top cricketing nations has ended in a draw - 2003-04 in Australia.

India have emerged victorious in the last three Border-Gavaskar Trophy. They beat the Aussies at home in 2016-17, before registering their maiden Test series triumph Down Under in 2018-19, under Virat Kohli’s leadership. The visitors registered their second successive Test series win in Australia during their 2020-21 visit.

As India and Australia are all set to resume their Border-Gavaskar Trophy rivalry, we answer some key questions related to the upcoming series.

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#1 Which are the four venues for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?

The India-Australia series will begin with the first Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur on February 9.

The subsequent Test matches will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi (February 17 to 21), the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala (March 1 to 5), and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad (March 9 to 13).

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#2 Who will be opening the batting for India in the Test series?

While skipper Rohit Sharma is certain to open the innings, he could be partnered by either KL Rahul or Shubman Gill.

With Shreyas Iyer unavailable for the first Test, one of Rahul or Gill could play in the middle order.

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#3 Is T20I star Suryakumar Yadav expected to make his Test debut in the series against Australia?

As per some reports, Suryakumar Yadav could make his Test debut in Nagpur in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer.

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#4 Can Jasprit Bumrah make a comeback for the last two Tests?

According to media reports, Team India’s lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah has resumed bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

If all goes well, he could be picked in the squad for the last two Tests.

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#5 What is the status of Shreyas Iyer’s injury?

Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a back injury that kept him out of the white-ball series against New Zealand. He is expected to join the Indian squad for the second Test in Delhi.

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#6 Which key Australian players will miss the first Test in Nagpur?

Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has been ruled out of the first Test against India due to a finger injury he sustained during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Josh Hazlewood will also be unavailable due to a left Achilles tendon injury. All-rounder Cameron Green, who fractured his finger during the Boxing Day Test, is also unlikely to feature in the playing XI in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 Test.

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#7 Why is Rishabh Pant not part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023?

India’s keeper-batter Rishabh Pant suffered multiple injuries in a horrific car crash in December 2022. According to reports, he is likely to be out for action for most of 2023.

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#8 Who will replace Pant as keeper-batter for India against Australia?

KS Bharat is the prime candidate to replace Pant as keeper-batter in India’s Test playing XI. Ishan Kishan is likely to be the second choice.

There is also an outside chance of India asking Rahul to keep wickets.

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#9 Which team is being considered the favorite to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?

While a number of cricket experts have predicted a win for Australia, India will begin the Test series as favorites. They have not lost a Test series at home since 2012. Also, the Aussies haven’t beaten India in a Test series since 2004.

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#10 What are the live telecast and live streaming details of the India-Australia series?

The India-Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be live telecast on Star Sports. The live streaming of all matches will also be available on the Disney+Hotstar app.