The Border-Gavaskar Trophy started on 22nd November 2024 in Perth, a blend of young talents and skilled players has featured in Indian squad. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who have a record-breaking year, leads the batting charge with Abhimanyu Easwaran. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Harshit Rana has IPL experience, while Devdutt Padikkal remains on substitute as potential batting cover.
From 6th December to 10th December 2024, Adelaide Oval will host the second Test featuring the innovative day-night format below the venue’s floodlights. From December 14 to 18, third match is scheduled in Gabba in Brisbane. Melbourne Cricket Ground from 26th December to 30th December 2024, marking the fourth encounter of the series.
The Fifth and final Test from 3rd January 2025 to 7th January 2025 will held in the Sydney Cricket Ground. bringing this notable cricket contest to conclusion, with both teams vying for supremacy.
Here is look at few new players in the Indian squad for the series:
Yashasvi Jaiswal
All are excited for young opener Yashasvi as he goes aboard on his maiden tour of Australia and faces host for the first time in his career. Jaiswal a left handed opener is currently the only in-form top-order batter in the Indian team. However, due to last month’s series whitewash against New Zealand at home he had disappointing trip. During the second Test against New Zealand Yashasvi Jaiswal made history by becoming the youngest Indian to score 1000 Test runs in a single calendar year. He broke the previous record set by Dilip Vengsarkar, who had reached the milestone at 23 in 1979.
Abhimanyu Easwaran
A Bengali boy, a 29-year-old opener, Abhimanyu Easwaran, has been a consistent presence in India’s Test squads recently, following over a decade of hard work in domestic cricket. He brings the experienced and credentials needed to inspire confidence in the team management -and in himself- can he be called upon to open in Rohit Sharma’s absence during the early matches in perth or Adelaide.
In Australia, Abhimanyu has earlier featured in two India A games and boasts an impressive domestic resume, with 101 first-class matches under his belt, collecting 7674 runs at an outstanding average of 48.87.
Harshit Rana
A towering fast bowler from Delhi, Harshit Rana stands as the most novice member of the squad, including reserves, with merely 10 first-class matches under his belt. His special trajectory saw him make his IPL debut for Kolkata Knight Riders before stepping into senior domestic cricket.
Nitish Kumar Reddy
A key player for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Nitish Kumar Reddy during their IPL 2024 final run, made his T20I debut against Bangladesh last month. His grand form in international cricket with a match- winning 74 off 34 balls in the second T20I versus Bangladesh, where he also impressed by picking up two wickets while opening the bowling.
Devdutt Padikkal
Top-order batsman Devdutt Padikkal has been asked to stay back as a batting backup by the BCCI due to absence of the Skipper Rohit Sharma and No. 3 batsman Shubman Gill, who is side-lined with a fractured finger, ahead of the opening Test against Australia.
