Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar opened up on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy which will be hosted by Australia from November 22. He reckoned that Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not in their prime form in the longest format of the game.
India have regained the upper hand in the series over the years. India has won its previous four series against Australia in a row, including two wins in Australia in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons.
This has made India a much more successful side in the series, with India winning the BGT 10 times and Australia winning it five times, with their last series win coming in during the 2014-15 season. Their last series win in India was in 2004-05.
"It might be a tough one. Virat and Rohit, both are not in their prime, they are not at the peak of their powers to be fair and others like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubhman Gill have to rise to the occasion" Manjrekar said while speaking on SportifyWithPRG.
Kohli was failed to perform in the two Test match series against Bangladesh. He just scored 99 runs in four innings at an average of 24.75. On the other hand, Rohit was able to score only 42 runs in the series at an average of 10.05.
Manjrekar on Rishabh Pant
Manjrekar reckoned that India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant is the only cricketer who will play very important role in the upcoming five-Test match series against Australia.
"Rishabh Pant is the only one that I feel is in his prime and a very important player," Manjrekar added
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 schedule
The five-Test match series between India and Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 is scheduled to start from November 22 the first Test take place in Perth.
The second Test will be held from December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, featuring the thrilling day-night format under the stadium's lights.
Following that, the action moves to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, scheduled for December 14 to 18. The series will then reach a pivotal moment with the traditional Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, running from December 26 to 30.
Finally, the fifth and concluding Test will unfold at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exhilarating finish to this captivating series.
