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Following India's resounding victory in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Sourav Ganguly delivered a strong message to the Australian cricket team. Alluding to the pre-series hype that favored Australia, Ganguly took a brutal dig at the Australian media by highlighting the irony of the same Indian team outplaying the hosts.
Team India kicked off the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series with a crushing win in Perth. Their all-round dominance defied pre-series predictions and exposed the weaknesses of the Australian team. Led by stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, India defied expectations and turned the tables on the hosts, who had been touted as favorites as per the Australian media.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's sensational debut century and Virat Kohli's masterful 30th Test century contributed to India's commanding show in Perth. Not to forget, Bumrah's fiery spells in both the innings, which ripped through the Australian batting line-up and didn't settle even for once in the match.
The emphatic Perth win against Australia in the series opener, following a disappointing Test series loss to New Zealand, has reignited India's hopes for a historic series victory in Australia. Meanwhile, former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes this is just the beginning of India's dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025.
Sourav Ganguly's stern warning to Australia after Perth hammering
Besides, bashing Australian team, Ganguly also praised India's deep pool of talent and warned Australia that the series could turn into a nightmare if they don't elevate their performance. He also highlighted the impact of young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy, suggesting that India will continue to exert pressure on Australia in the upcoming Test matches.
“Obviously there were media reports in Australia that 'we will blow them away.' Look who has blown them away in the first Test. Indian cricket has enormous talent, and this is for Australia: Play well; otherwise, it's going to be a long series for you,” Ganguly said during the IPL 2025 mega auction.
“It's great to see Bumrah, wow! Bumrah, Kohli, and Yashasvi—a 22-year-old, first Test in Australia, superb! I liked the young boy from Hyderabad, Nitish (Kumar) Reddy. The seamers bowled well. They never looked out of place on a big occasion, on a big stage, playing for India. They'll keep putting pressure on Australia in the next four matches,” he added.
What India need to do to qualify for WTC 2023-2025 final?
Following their stunning win over Australia, India has rocketed to the top spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 standings. With a current percentage of 61.11 points won, India has surpassed Australia, who now occupies the second position with 57.69%. Before this, India suffered a humiliating series whitewash against New Zealand at home which saw them dropping to the second position in the WTC points table. To secure a place in the WTC final, India need to win three of the remaining four Test matches against Australia. The second Test of the series is scheduled to take place in Adelaide from December 6 to 10.
