Former Aussie Coach Names This Player To Hold Key For India In Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Former Australia coach John Buchanan has said that the one Indian player whose performance will be critical for India in the series will be Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The left-handed opener has had an amazing start to his career and currently averages 68.5 in nine Tests. He has so far done brilliantly in India and West Indies and Buchanan believes that if the 22-year-old continues his fine form Down Under, India would do well.

"There's a lot of talk about that, isn't there? He is an exciting young player, and certainly one to watch, but he would be to me one of those examples. He hasn't played in Australia, or at least he hasn't played in Perth in a Test match on a wicket that bounces. So, his ability to adjust his game to those conditions in some sense might be a barometer as to how India will go through the series," John Buchanan said, as quoted by The Times of India.

Even though Jaiswal ruled with the bat in the homes series against England and the away series against West Indies, the left-hander struggled in tough conditions of South Africa. However, it was after his struggles in South Africa, that he scored 712 runs against England at home in the five-match series. He became only the second batter after the legendary Sunil Gavaskar to score over 700 runs for India in a Test series.

Expectations will be high from the 22-year-old who will be playing his first international series in Australia's bouncy conditions.

The Border-Gavaskar series will consist of five Test matches, starting November 2024 and going on till early January 2025. This will be the first time the Border-Gavaskar series will have five Tests.

Buchanan believes that five matches will test both teams physically as well as mentally. "Look, it's going to be a classic series, really. Five Tests, which is one more Test obviously than played previously, which does make a difference because by the time they reach Sydney, both teams, they will have presumably played four hard Test matches before that in a short period. So that's going to test everybody physically and mentally right through the series," Buchanan said.

The India-Australia five-match Test series begins November 22. Australia have not been able to win a Test series against India since 2014-15.