Kolkata, Feb 2 (UNI) The Border-Gavaskar trophy will be a battle of the top two sides in test
cricket, India can reclaim the number one spot if they beat Australia by a margin of two tests.
India, who are currently the number one side in ODI’s and T20i’s will be looking to cement themselves as the number one side in tests as well. The Border-Gavaskar trophy is also the
final frontier to seal a spot in the World Test Championship finals. Both Australia and India are
in pole positions to qualify for the finals, but winning three of the four tests would secure India’s
spot for the World Test Championships.
With the likes of Kohli, Siraj and Gill in red hot form at the moment, it will also be a litmus test for some new faces who make their debut in test matches, most notably Suryakumar Yadav.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’, former batting coach of the Indian cricket team Sanjay Bangar spoke on who he is most looking forward to see perform in the Border-Gavaskar test series.
He said “For me, I mean, yes, we all know about the big stars but maybe Siraj’s bowling, I am really looking forward to seeing Siraj as a test bowler, because all his performances in test cricket have come overseas in helpful conditions. He has phenomenal ability with the new ball and old ball. Can he make a mark? Because if he does well along with Mohammed Shami, then he can open up the game for the Indian spinners.”
Irfan Pathan further spoke on how special the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be for the debutants,
who will be making their first appearance in Tests against one of the strongest sides in world cricket.
He said “I think pressure is there for sure, but it is very exciting playing against Australia, playing against one of the best teams in the world. Because when I played my first game against Australia,
in Australia, that was a champion side. But I can’t forget that we won that test match after 21 years. So, that’s the kind of history you make and you create and it stays with you forever. So, I think those players will be looking to do that as well, looking to be very excited for the challenge which is going
to come in front of them.”
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’, former India cricketer Pathan spoke on how Virat Kohli will be approaching the Border-Gavaskar Test series and what areas he will be looking to improve on, he said “So, the one thing he will be keeping in his mind is how he’s going to be countering the spin of Lyon as well as Agar. Because he has been struggling against spin specially and I think one thing he can do personally as well is to try and be a little more aggressive, because
I think the strike rate against spin has come down as well."
"I know we are talking about test cricket here, but sometimes he must be slightly more aggressive against spin, it might make you better in that encounter when you’re actually facing guys like Nathan Lyon who is outstanding with his spin, extra bounce and he gets that ball moving away from the right hander as well. So, I think that’s one thing he should keep in mind,” he added.
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