Border Gavaskar Trophy: Test at it’s best
Test cricket is the true essence of the sport. This format reveals the true character of an athlete. Playing a test match involves a lot of stamina, patience and endurance both physically and mentally. It is a format which is not driven by luck but purely by a player’s talent and mental capabilities. Hence, it is the favorite format of almost every player. A test match maximum lasts for five days and is played with a pink/red cricket ball. Each team gets two innings to showcase their skill and all the players are donned in white jerseys.
It is generally believed that test matches are grueling and very boring to watch. But that’s not true, provided the best teams are competing to win the game. For instance, test matches between England and Australia- The Ashes, are very interesting. When both the teams sledge each other to get into the nerves of opponents, or when Jorfa Archer attacks with body line bouncers to Australians to take their wicket, also when Steve Smith fights hard to score a century against the best pacers in the world like Stuart Broad, James Anderson etc. It is really fascinating to see world class players fighting hard for their national teams and that’s when test cricket seems more fascinating than a T20 game.
Just like the Ashes, another such interesting encounter between two world class teams, India and Australia is Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Today, in this article by ZAP Cricket, we will explain in detail about this
Border Gavaskar Trophy is a test series between India and Australia and the trophy is named after Australia’s captain- Allan Border and India’s Sunil Gavaskar. It is one of the highly rated test series as each session is highly competitive. The trophy is administered by BCCI and Cricket Australia and the venues pre decided by respective boards. This trophy is usually held once in two years and the first edition was held 1996-97. India are the Current trophy holders. They are more successful as they have won 10 times and even retained the trophy once. It is very difficult to beat both teams at their home and that is one of the reasons why the series gets extra competitive.
As per the records in Border Gavaskar Trophy, Sachin Tendulkar has scored most runs as his tally stands at 3,262 runs. Nathan Lyon has grabbed the most wickets, that is 116.
Summary of rivalry
|
Year |
Host |
Total number of matches |
India as winners |
Australia as winners |
Player of the series |
|
1996-97 |
India |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Nayan Mongia |
|
1997-98 |
India |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Sachin Tendulkar |
|
1999-2000 |
Australia |
3 |
0 |
3 |
Sachin Tendulkar |
|
2000-01 |
India |
3 |
1 |
2 |
Harbhajan Singh |
|
2003-04 |
Australia |
4 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2004-05 |
India |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Damien Martyn |
|
2007-08 |
Australia |
4 |
1 |
2 |
Brett Lee |
|
2008-09 |
India |
4 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
2010-11 |
India |
2 |
2 |
0 |
Sachin Tendulkar |
|
2011-12 |
Australia |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
|
2012-13 |
India |
4 |
4 |
0 |
R. Ashwin |
|
2014-15 |
Australia |
4 |
0 |
2 |
Steve Smith |
|
2016-17 |
India |
4 |
2 |
1 |
R. Jadega |
|
2018-19 |
Australia |
4 |
2 |
1 |
Cheteshwar Pujara |
|
2020-21 |
Australia |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
2022-23 |
India |
4 |
2 |
1 |
R. Ashwin |
Schedule for 2024-2025 Border Gavaskar Trophy
In total, 5 matches will be played between the two teams. The Trophy will be starting from 22nd November, 2024 and will end on 7 January, 2025. The detailed schedule is as follows:
- 1st Test: 22-26 November, 2024 at Optus Stadium, Perth
- 2nd Test: 6-10 December, 2024 at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
- 3rd Test: 14-18 December, 2024 at The Gabba, Brisbane
- 4th Test: 26-30 December, 2024 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (Boxing Day Test)
- 5th Test: 3-7 January, 2025 at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (McGrath’s Foundation Pink Test Match)
Top matchups in Border Gavaskar Trophy
|
Batsman |
Bowler |
Runs |
Wickets |
|
Virat Kohli |
Pat Cummins |
96 |
5 |
|
Rishabh Pant |
Mitchell Starc |
120 |
2 |
|
Rohit Sharma |
Nathan Lyon |
207 |
9 |
|
Steve Smith |
R. Ashwin |
434 |
8 |
The battle between these players is always fascinating as the best in the world fight for the title with all the grit and determination. Both the teams are equally balanced as far as skill is concerned, hence, it all melts down to mental side of the game. The team which shows a better character on the field always have a brighter chance to win.
What is the Boxing Day test in cricket?
It is a test match held in Melbourne, involving the Australian cricket team and another national team. The match is always scheduled on 26th December and has some cultural significance as well. The match is purposely scheduled before New Year, from 26-30 December to draw large crowds. The tradition of Boxing Day test match started in 1968 against the West Indies. The man of the match award in this match is given the Mullagh Medal, named after Australian cricketer Johnny Mullagh.
What is McGrath’s Foundation Pink Test match in cricket?
This test match is played with the aim to raise money for charity to cure breast cancer patients. It also helps in creating awareness about the same. This charity was founded by Australian legend Glenn McGrath as his wife was diagnosed with the same. This match is played for a noble cause and hence Cricket Australia received a lot of appreciation for their initiative.
Predictions of 2024-2025 Border Gavaskar Trophy
Spectators, players, ex players etc. are really excited for this upcoming trophy, Australian legend Adam Gilchrist is claiming that Pat Cummins and Co. will win the series by an edge, 3-2. Micheal Vaughan, asserts the same opinion through the media. However, Indian legend and two time World Cup winner, Yuvraj Singh, has different opinions. He believes that men in blue will retain the Trophy as they will be beating the home team by 3-2. So, all this banter off the field will continue until the real show begins on 22nd November,
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