The much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is set to begin on November 22, with the first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth. Both teams are gearing up for a high-stakes series, as India looks to defend their recent dominance against Australia, who are determined to reclaim supremacy on their home turf. The Indian team has already arrived in Australia and is conducting intense practice sessions at Perth’s WACA Stadium to prepare for the fast, bouncy pitches expected throughout the series.
Among the exciting matchups, a spotlight is shining on the rivalry between Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and Australian opener Usman Khawaja. Known for his unconventional bowling action and accuracy, Bumrah presents a formidable challenge, even to an experienced player like Khawaja. Despite having faced Bumrah in several previous encounters, Khawaja has managed only 43 runs off 155 balls from the bowler and has remained unbeaten in seven innings against him.
Khawaja spoke to Fox Cricket about the unique difficulty of facing Bumrah. “I mean, when you first face him, it’s just his action. It’s a different, bizarre kind of action as his release point is very different from other bowlers,” he explained. “It feels like it comes out and then gets there a lot quicker than you expect it. It’s very awkward at first, but once you get a bit of rhythm, it gets better. But he’s still a class bowler.”
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In addition to focusing on Bumrah, Khawaja gave insight into Australia’s assessment of India’s overall bowling strength. While Bumrah has long been considered one of India’s top threats, Khawaja highlighted the effectiveness of the other Indian pacers, like Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, as well as the spin options that complement India’s attack. “Everyone talks about Jasprit, but they actually have a lot of other good bowlers,” Khawaja noted. “I think Siraj is a very good bowler to both right-handers and left-handers. When Shami was fit, he was a very good bowler and very underrated.”
Australia heads into the series with a strong desire to redeem themselves after losing the last two home series to India. The upcoming series is not just a contest of skills but also a test of strategies, where each team’s ability to adapt to conditions and counter key players like Bumrah could be decisive. With intense individual rivalries and well-matched squads on both sides, the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy promises to be an exhilarating showdown for cricket fans worldwide.
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