Since 2014, serial global trophy winners Australia have laid their hands on two 50-over World Cups (2015, 2023), four Ashes (2017-2018, 2019, 2021-2022, 2023), one T20 World Cup (2021) and the mace that declared them the latest World Test Champions (2023).
One piece of silverware, though, has proved curiously elusive — the Border Gavaskar Trophy. It’s the prize for winning the Test series between India and Australia, named after two legendary cricketers, Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar, who were the second and first to cross the 10,000-run mark in Tests, respectively.
Contested since 1996, Australia last touched it in 2014-2015, when they beat India 2-0 Down Under in the four-match series. The following four installments, all tightly contested, have been pocketed by India 2-1.
Thanks to Rishabh Pant’s maverick genius at the Gabba in Jan 2021, TV stations and fans asked for more and what have you: A first five-Test series of the BGT. VVS Laxman’s heroics in Kolkata and the thrilling Test series of 2000-01 resulted in a three-Test series growing into a four-Test affair and it seems Pant’s pyrotechnics have had the same effect.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, not known for hyperbole, equated the India-Australia rivalry to the Ashes. Ditto for former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan. It’s up to the visitors now though to justify this massive hype.
