New Delhi: India will be aiming to bag their third Test series victory in Australia on the trot when the two teams lock horns in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 later this year. India have returned victorious by the same margin of 2-1 from their last two Test series Down Under and will be hoping to continue their stellar run against the hosts in the five-match series once again this year.
Ahead of the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia legend Ricky Ponting has urged India to pick left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed in their touring squad for the blockbuster Test series. Ponting, who coached Khaleel at the Delhi Capitals (DC) during IPL 202 earlier this year, believes the pacer can be an ideal choice for India in their bowling attack.
“Someone like Khaleel Ahmed, I think, could find himself on the Test tour. He has just been over in Zimbabwe recently and played that (T20I) series over there, but a left-armer would be ideal for them to have in their touring squad,” Ponting told ‘The ICC Review’.
Khaleel has already played 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is for India but is yet to make his Test debut for the national team. The left-arm pacer enjoyed a great IPL 2024 where he picked up 17 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 9.58. India already have a strong pace arsenal consisting of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami and it remains to be seen if the selectors will be keen on including Khaleel in the squad.
Ponting predicts the winner of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Ponting believes Australia will have a ‘point to prove’ against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this year having lost the last two Test series in a row against the visitors at home. India scripted history under Virat Kohli when they became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia 2-1 in 2018-19. India once again thumped Australia 2-1 in their last tour in 2021-22 under Ajinkya Rahane.
However, Ponting has predicted Australia to edge India 2-1 this time around considering it is a five-match series unlike the last two which consisted of 4 Tests. The series will be an important one for both teams with a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final on the line.
“It’s going to be a competitive series. Australia has got a bit of a point to prove against India in Australia on the back of what happened the last the last two series here. We are back to (having) five Tests as well, which is the other really important thing about this series. It has only been four Tests the last couple of time. (To have) five Tests, everyone is really excited by that and I don’t know if there’d be too many drawn games,” said Ponting.
“I’m obviously going to tip Australia to win and I’m never going to tip against Australia. There will be a draw somewhere and there will be some bad weather somewhere, so I’m going to say 3-1 to Australia,” he added.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 will kick off on November 2022 with the first Test match at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Aussie legend Ricky Ponting has named a left-arm pacer who should be India’s touring squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November-December this year. India will play a five-match Test series against Australia. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
