India has the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia desperately wants to get it back.
Seldom has there been a more keenly anticipated Test series than the one that will be played out across Australia this season between the two top-ranked men’s teams in some of the world’s great sports stadiums.
In recent times Pat Cummins and his remarkable team has won the ICC World Championship final against India, retained The Ashes and won the ICC ODI World Cup. But the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is one they crave in a series now extended to five Tests, rightly putting it on the same footing as The Ashes.
There are so many storylines. Can the brilliant Aussie bowling line-up unsettle the experienced Indian batters? Who will emerge to take Dave Warner’s place at the top of the order? Will majestic veteran Virat Kohli be at his incredible best?
The only thing that will match the stellar standard of this contest will be the atmosphere at the grounds. The raucous Aussie crowds will be right behind Cummins and his team while the travelling Indian fans and local Indian communities will help ensure the grandstands are rocking.
In the backyard, on the beach and on TV cricket provides the background noise of the Aussie summer. But there is nothing like being there to feel the spinetingling moments and ride every ball. And what great venues we have for this much anticipated showdown.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series begins at Perth Stadium where you can expect pyrotechnics on the typically sporting West Australian pitch, while the Adelaide Test returns to the day-night timeslot so beloved by the locals who will again gather in big numbers at Adelaide Oval to enjoy the game and the renowned local hospitality.
The Brisbane Test is in a very fan-friendly pre-Christmas timeslot. With school out for the summer and work winding down, thousands will get down to the Gabba for what could prove a pivotal match in the series.
Then comes two of the great traditions in world sport – the Boxing Day Test at the packed MCG colosseum and the New Years Test at the historic SCG. The buzz of anticipation; the roar when the ball hits the stumps or clears the fence. Where else would you want to be?
There are so many great ways to enjoy the series from the perfect vantage points in premium seating and boxes to the sumptuous sit-down dining. But the one thing you will share throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is the priceless experience of being at the centre of the cricket universe.
Can the Aussies finally win back the trophy and assert their place as the undisputed champions of world cricket? You just need to be there.