The highly anticipated first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 between Australia and India is set to commence on November 22, 2024 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. This marks the beginning of a historic five-match series, the first of its kind between these two cricketing giants since 1991-92.

Led by Pat Cummins, Australia enter this Test with a strong squad despite the absence of all-rounder Cameron Green due to injury. The team features seasoned players like Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja, alongside newbie Nathan McSweeney, who is expected to open the batting. Australia’s bowling attack will rely heavily on Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Cummins to exploit the conditions at Perth, which traditionally favour pace bowlers.

India will be captained by Jasprit Bumrah in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who is unavailable due to personal reasons. The squad includes stars like Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, but they are also facing challenges with injuries; Shubman Gill‘s fitness remains uncertain following a thumb injury during practice. India’s bowling lineup will feature Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja, who will need to perform well against a formidable Australian batting order.

India to face a tough challenge

India currently hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning the last four series against Australia. However, they come into this match on the back of a disappointing 3-0 defeat to New Zealand at home. Conversely, Australia have had recent successes against India in major tournaments, including victories in both the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup final last year.

India tour of Australia 2024, 1st Test:

• Date and time: November 22, 02:20 am GMT/ 10:20 am Local/ 07:50 am IST
• Venue: Optus stadium, Perth.

Optus stadium Pitch Report:

The pitch at Optus Stadium in Perth for the first Test between Australia and India is expected to offer good pace and bounce, reminiscent of the traditional WACA ground. With 8-10 mm of grass remaining, fast bowlers are likely to find assistance early on, particularly on Day 1. As the match progresses, the surface will wear, potentially allowing for some turn and variable bounce, especially by Day 3. By Day 4 and Day 5, uneven bounce may complicate batting, challenging players to adapt their techniques. Overall, the pitch promises an exciting contest between bat and ball, favouring fast bowlers initially while requiring resilience from batters as conditions evolve.

AUS vs IND Dream11 Prediction Picks:

• Wicketkeepers: KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant
• Batters: Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Yashasvi Jaiswal
• All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Marsh
• Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah

AUS vs IND Dream11 Prediction Captain and Vice-Captain:

Choice 1: Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mitchell Starc (vc)
Choice 2: Yashasvi Jaiswal (c), Pat Cummins (vc)

AUS vs IND Dream11 Prediction Backups:

Travis Head, Ravichandran Ashwin, Marnus Labuschagne, Mohammed Siraj

Also READ: AUS vs IND: Rishabh Pant’s record in Test cricket on Australian soil

AUS vs IND Dream11 Team for today’s match (November 22, 02:20 am GMT):

Squads:

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey (wk), Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Scott Boland

India: Jasprit Bumrah (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Abhimanyu Easwaran

Also READ: AUS vs IND 2024, 1st Test: Optus Stadium Pitch Report, Perth Test stats and records

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