India's out-of-favour batter to do commentary in Perth Test as commentators and umpires for Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener announced

The cricketing world is waiting for the high-voltage Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with bated breath, which is just around the corner. Team India and Australia are set to clash in a five-match Test series, with the first Test kicking off on November 22 at the WACA Stadium in Perth. Both teams have been diligently preparing for this crucial series. Players from both sides have been working tirelessly to ensure they are in peak condition and ready to give their all.

Both Rohit Sharma's brigade and Pat Cummins' army have been meticulously preparing on the field, the off-field preparations have also been underway. A day before the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, the umpires for the Perth Test have been announced. Richard Kettleborough and Chris Gaffaney will officiate as on-field umpires for the first Test between India and Australia. Richard Illingworth will be the third umpire, while Sam Nogajski will serve as the fourth umpire.

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Umpire to officiate in the first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy:

Field Umpires - Richard Kettleborough, Chris Gaffaney.
Third Umpire - Richard Illingworth
Fourth Umpire - Sam Nogajski

Commentary panel for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

Meanwhile, the commentary panel for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 has also been announced which will see India's out-of-favour batter Cheteshwar Pujara gracing the commentary box. The Hindi commentary panel will feature renowned cricket experts like Ravi Shastri, Wasim Akram, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Jatin Sapru, and Deep Dasgupta. 

The English commentary panel will also include some of the biggest names in cricket, such as Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, and Wasim Akram. They will be joined by Mark Nicholas, Matthew Hayden, Murali Vijay, and Russell Arnold.

Hindi Commentators: Ravi Shastri, Wasim Akram, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Jatin Sapru, Deep Dasgupta
English Commentators: Mark Nicholas, Matthew Hayden, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Wasim Akram, Murali Vijay, Russell Arnold

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is not only a fierce rivalry but also a crucial part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Both India and Australia are currently in the top two positions of the WTC table and are vying for a spot in the final. The outcome of this series will significantly impact their chances of reaching the WTC 2023-2025 final.

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Pat Cummins will lead the Australian team, while Jasprit Bumrah will captain India in the opening Test. Regular India captain Rohit Sharma is currently unavailable due to personal reasons and is expected to join the team on November 24.

India's updated squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy:

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