Nakul Shivani/ New Delhi

A lot will be at stake when Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins walk out into middle at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur tomorrow morning for the toss that will kickstart the four-match test series India and Australia play for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The cricketing rivalry between the two countries is today bigger than the Ashes. With India and Pakistan not involved in bilateral series currently due to political reasons, this match-up is touted as the most intense battle in Test cricket.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 🔥#AmiKKR #INDvAUS #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/bNTt9bJXQz

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) February 8, 2023

This will be Rohit Sharma’s biggest test as red-ball captain, as Australia look to recapture the trophy. In India's tour down under in 2018-19, under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, India became the first Asian country to win a series in Australia. India followed this up with a dramatic comeback two years later when they bounced back from a first test loss to win the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

It is notable to mention that India was bundled out for 36 runs in the opening test match in Adelaide.

All out for 36 😳

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy starts on Thursday! #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Uv08jytTS7

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 6, 2023

The rivalry for the prestigious trophy is full of some historical performances from the Indians. The first contest took place in 1996 with India winning the on-off test in Delhi helped by Nayan Mongia's 152 runs in the second innings. Indian fans would vividly remember the 2000-01 series in which Steve Waugh's Australia failed to conquer the 'final frontier'. It was in this series, VVS Laxman etched his name in history books. He steered India to a 171-run victory in the second test match in Kolkata scoring 281 runs in India's second innings. Indian went on to win the series 2-1 by winning the third test match in Chennai after having lost the first test by ten wickets.

India’s other outstanding performances came in the last two series Down Under. Jasprit Bumrah took 21 wickets in the 2018-19 edition along with Cheteshwar Pujara who scored 521 runs. The next series in Australian in 2020-21 is remembered for the heroics of Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin in the drawn Sydney test match along with the Rishab Pant’s unbeaten 89 that helped India become the first Asian country to defeat Australia in Brisbane.

India is the current holder of the Border-Gavaskar trophy

This time, Australia is determined to seek revenge and take the Border-Gavaskar trophy home. At stake is a place in the final of the World Test Championship. India need to win the series with a margin of atleast 2 matches to make it to the decisive match of the championship to be held at the Oval in June. India had lost the final of the inaugural edition by eight wickets to New Zealand in 2021.

The current series between the top-two ranked sides in world cricket is the first on Indian soil since 2017 when the hosts edged out the visitors 2-1. The last time they won a series in India was in 2004 when the Adam Gilchrist led-aussies registered wins in Bengaluru and Nagpur to seal a 2-1 win. India has won the Border-Gavaskar trophy in the last three series played between two countries.  

India have won the last 4⃣ #BorderGavaskarTrophy series at home. 💪

5⃣th one on the trot? Let’s do this #TeamIndia! 🤩#PlayBold #INDvAUS #BGT2023 pic.twitter.com/Vabjib2iuO

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 8, 2023

After the first test in Nagpur, the two teams will move to Delhi for the second test match from Feb 17. The third and fourth match of the series will be played in Dharamshala and Ahmedabad respectively.

ALSO READ: Padma Shri Faisal Dar: Trailblazer in the valley

Tomorrow at Nagpur is the beginning one more chapter in the history of rivalry in the most intense battles on the cricketing field. Who will hold the prestigious Border-Gavaskar trophy this time?…Will it remain in India or will Pat Cummins take it with him home. Wait till the middle of March to know the answer. Till then sit back and enjoy this high-profile contest the world of cricket is waiting with bated breath to watch.