The much awaited Gavaskar-Border Trophy between India and Australia begins on Friday. This is the first time in more than 30 years India is playing a five-Test series in Australia, a privilege that is reserved only for England for the Ashes. India won the series Down Under the last two times — in 2018-19 and 2020-21. The last series was a particularly memorable one — for R Ashwin, Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant’s heroics.

So India will really have to defy the odds to pull off a hat-trick of series wins in Australia. But the omens are not good.

After a 3-0 drubbing against New Zealand at home recently, there are some serious questions being asked about India’s form. Two of its top batters, skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are in poor form — Kohli has scored just two centuries in the last five years. In 2024, Kohli in 12 Test innings has averaged a mere 20.09, scoring just one half century.

The bowling too has its problems and Mohammad Shami’s absence, who’s just coming back from a long injury lay-off, will be felt. That the Indian selectors have chosen plenty of bowling back-ups tells its story.

The core of this Indian Test side is ageing with four senior players — Rohit, Kohli, Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja — being on the wrong side of the thirties.

In the next one year some tough selection calls will have to be made and the Indian side inevitably will have to go through a period of transition which could be painful.

To make matters worse Shubman Gill will miss the first Test at Perth due to injury and Rohit may miss it for personal reasons.

But who knows, after being done in by turning tracks at home, India batters may just relish the prospect of paying at bouncy Australian tracks. Whatever the outcome, an exciting Test series is on the cards.

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