India discard Gautam Gambhir is training in Perth under former Australia Test batsman Justin Langer to revive his international career, fine-tuning skills that made him the world's number one Test batsman in 2009.
The youngsters in the side couldn't have got a better mentor than 'King' Kohli himself to guide them with his words of wisdom.
History has not seen a cricketing rivalry as fierce as this this century, every ball bowled every run taken, coming with no quarter given. Ahead of India's five Test tour of Australia, Norma Astrid Godinho/Rediff.com takes a walk down memory lane, recounting India's sojourns Down Under from 1947 to 2021, in a 4-part series.
The world's top two Test teams will clash in a five-match affair starting on November 22 in Perth and India will enter the contest having held the trophy for nearly a decade, which includes winning two consecutive series Down Under.
Over the past year, the Indian team's communication has time and again come under the scanner with the latest being the Ashwin injury before the all-important decider at the SCG.
If one has to analyse Ashwin the cricketer, it is very difficult to ignore Ashwin, the person, who had a very independent mind and a brain that probably ticked 24x7. He believed in de-construction of his art and became craftier one ball at a time.
Kuldeep, who has had an excellent couple of years since making his comeback from the knee injury, also visited the Cricket Australia (CA) headquarters and had an online interaction CEO Nick Hockley.
Gautam Gambhir put up a stout defence of under-pressure skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli.
Mitchell Starc and Steven Smith believe that Virat Kohli is an Australian in the way he thinks, acts, and has the desire to perform in big games.
'We stuck to our guns and delivered skill under pressure and managed to keep ahead in the game'
Australia ripped through South Africa's top order in the first hour, dismissed the tourists for 242 by tea and reached 105 without loss at close on the back of some Dave Warner fireworks on the opening day of the first Test on Thursday.
2024 saw some of the most competitive and captivating cricket being played on the field.
With the series locked at 1-1, Brisbane could well decide the course of the rubber and whether Rohit's men would continue to be the master of their fate in the ongoing World Test Championship.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels that playing conditions in Sydney and Perth in the ongoing Test series between India and Australia exposed the "physical inadequacies of an ageing cricketer".
Virat Kohli has succumbed to spin three times in the first two Tests, while scoring just 68 runs in four innings.
Ricky Ponting advised star batters Virat Kohli and Steve Smith to stop trying hard to rediscover their best and pushing themselves too hard and just focus on watching the ball and scoring runs.
Indian batters, with the exception of Yashasvi Jaiswal (84), faltered yet again to lose the match by 184 runs and trail 1-2 in the five-match series.
India will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth
This period saw big stars of the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev fade into the sunset while it was witness to the birth of slew of young Indian cricketers that made their mark home and abroad.
While India dominated visiting teams on spin-friendly wickets to put together 18 consecutive series wins at home in last 12 years, the choice to play on turning tracks against New Zealand backfired in Pune and Mumbai.
India's batting is a major concern with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling for runs ahead of the tour of Australia.
'It was a team effort, and I am happy for Kumble and the boys that we came up with a remarkable win,' said the former India captain after India beat Australia by 72 runs to win the third Test.
'You have to be courageous to score runs in Perth,' Steve Waugh said.
'You have to respect if the ball's moving, you have to give it to the fast bowlers and just soak in that pressure and wait for your time to score runs.'
Most of the Indian batters struggled while adjusting to the bounce which was a good feet and half more than what they are used to in India which is just above knee roll.
Hanuma Vihari, part of India's back to back series wins in Australia, reckons the services of veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara will be be dearly missed when the team aims for a hat-trick Down Under later this year.
Australia bowled the West Indies out for 333 on Sunday in the second session of Day 5 to register a thumping 164-run victory in the first Test at Perth Stadium and a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
India have won all the last four series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking into account their home wins in 2016-17 and 2022-23 -- both also 2-1 results in a four-match contest.
'That's one we need to tick off, definitely, in particular at home... we should pretty much win every series here at home.'
Ranjan Madugalle has requested the rival captains to be present for a 'cool-off' session at Perth on Monday.
The dawn of a new era had begun under Sourav Ganguly's aggressive leadership. With Ganguly and Coach John Wright at the helm India had transitioned into a force to be reckoned with.
Mayank Yadav should be on the plane to Australia if Mohammed Shami is not available for selection, asserted Brett Lee, one of the most destructive fast bowlers of all time, who has high hopes from the Indian pace sensation on the true, bouncy wickets Down Under.
When you are defending to save a game, a loose delivery comes along and you suddenly opt to play an attacking shot, you are unlikely to hit as well as if you were playing your naturally aggressive game all along. First Pant, then Jaiswal, found that out the costly way, observes Prem Panicker.
'I think there was a fair bit of good bowling today. Obviously there was enough in the wicket and it probably felt like it was a hardball wicket.'
Shaheen and fellow quick Naseem Shah led the way, picking up three wickets apiece during a showcase of swing and pace, which accounted for Jake Fraser-McGurk (seven) and Aaron Hardie (12) in the first powerplay.
Babar was also one of the few bright spots from Pakistan's previous tour to Australia in 2019-2020, where he scored 97 and 101.
His banter with Virat Kohli became a talking point in the Perth Test and Australian captain Tim Paine was at it again from behind the stumps with Rohit Sharma at the receiving end, during Day 2 of the third Test in Melbourne.
West Indies all-rounder Roston Chase and middle-order batsman Shamarh Brooks were on Saturday recalled to the squad for their two-Test series in Australia, while former captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul's son Tagenarine earned his maiden call-up.
Dinesh Karthik on Tuesday said head coach Gautam Gambhir's display of aggression in the past has generally come out in "protection of his players".
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said the hosts would field their strongest side against Pakistan, which means a welcome return for spinner Nathan Lyon, who will chase his 500th Test wicket after injury ruled him out of the last three matches of the Ashes.
