Ravi Shastri confident India will secure historic Hat-Trick in Border-Gavaskar trophy

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has thrown his support behind India's prospects of securing a third consecutive Test series victory in Australia, continuing their dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

The highly anticipated five-match Test series between the cricketing powerhouses is set to kick off in November, and Shastri believes India is well-prepared to retain the prestigious trophy.

India has emerged victorious in the last two Test series on Australian soil, a historic feat that has seen them hold onto the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2015, when Australia last claimed it with a 2-0 win at home. 

Despite Australia’s triumph over India in the ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval last year, Shastri remains confident that India can once again come out on top in the upcoming series.

Having led India to a 2-1 series victory in Australia during the 2020-21 tour, Shastri is well aware of the challenges posed by Australia’s formidable fast-bowling attack. 

He emphasized the critical role of India’s experienced batting line-up, including captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli, in securing another series win.

“The Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia over five Test matches is going to be a humdinger,” Shastri said. “India have beaten Australia twice on the last two tours, and Australia has not had a hand in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in almost a decade. That’s the reason why everyone will be waiting for these two heavyweights of Test match cricket over the last five to eight years to go head-to-head.”

Shastri highlighted that India’s chances of completing a hat-trick of series wins depend heavily on their batting performance. He also underscored the importance of India’s bowling attack, featuring fit-again pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, along with Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja.

“It is going to be one heck of a series, and India have every chance of making it a hat-trick because they've got their bowlers fit, and if they can bat well, they can tickle [beat] Australia once again,” he said.

The series opener will be held in Perth, known for its fast and bouncy pitches, which will pose a significant challenge to India’s batting resilience. 

Shastri acknowledged that Australia’s pace attack, led by captain Pat Cummins, will be eager to reclaim the trophy after two consecutive home series losses to India.

“We know what Australia will be wanting—revenge,” Shastri noted. “They will be thirsty, they’d be looking to go at the throats of the Indians because they’ve been beaten there [in Australia] twice. The attack is pretty much the same—one of the greatest fast-bowling attacks, and when you add Nathan Lyon there, it’s one of the best in the history of the game. They'll be looking for those 20 wickets, game after game, to help Australia win the series.”

Shastri anticipates several key battles throughout the series, believing that the outcome will hinge on which team wins more of these crucial matchups. He emphasized that India’s success will depend on their ability to withstand Australia’s pace assault while leveraging their own strong bowling unit.

“One can’t wait for that series to start, and I think India can do the hat-trick [of series victories in Australia],” he concluded.