The recent exploits of the Indian cricket team have proved that Indian cricket is in good hands. Amidst all the highs and lows and off-field controversies, what stood out is India’s remarkable bench strength. 

It has been sustained on the back of some shrewd planning by the BCCI, along with a domestic infrastructure in the capable hands of Rahul Dravid. So, who are the young Indian cricketers who are leading India’s bid for cricketing supremacy? 

• Shubman Gill
  

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Shubman Gill is the long-awaited answer to a compact and technically sound opening batsman in the Indian cricket team. Gill is a young Indian cricketer who impressed with his exploits in the recent U19 World Cup and IPL 2020 (averaging an astonishing 124 runs and striking at over 115 in the World Cup).

Adaptable and smart, Shubman carries the confidence to anchor the innings while going after the opposition bowlers when the situation demands. Gill’s start to his Test career has been phenomenal, and there is no reason why he cannot shoulder the opening responsibility for India in test matches to come.

• Rishabh Pant
  

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The current golden boy of the Indian cricket team, Rishabh Pant, can do no wrong. Recently crowned the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Month (January 2021), Pant is gradually silencing his critics with his striking and effective batting style, and ever-improving skills behind the stumps.  In the recently concluded 2nd test of India vs. England series, Pant pulled off two blinding catches and another couple of equally effective stumpings to put his side in a commanding position. An able successor of MS Dhoni, this young Indian cricketer is carving out a niche for himself as a specialist keeper-batsman in India’s middle order. If anyone had any doubts about his finishing skills as a batsman, they only need to watch a replay of the 4th test of the recently concluded test series Down Under.

• Prithvi Shaw
  

Image Source – DNA India

Hailed as the next Sachin Tendulkar (he even carries a similar ‘MRF’ bat), Shaw shot into the limelight when he smashed a record 546 in a Harris Shield match in Mumbai. He smashed a century on his Duleep Trophy debut, emulating his idol, Tendulkar’s, record. Although his Indian test team’s position is yet to be cemented, a healthy IPL contract and a couple of good seasons in the premier T20 league always keep him in the reckoning.

• Washington Sundar

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Remember his nonchalant six off Nathan Lyon in Sydney? That pretty much sums up Washington Sundar’s attitude towards the game. A non-fussy young Indian cricketer, who goes about his job as quietly and effectively as any other, the bowling all-rounder can ably complement his senior pros – the likes of Jadeja and Ashwin – in consolidating India’s lower order. Sundar’s ability to chip in with crucial wickets while keeping a lid on the opposition’s scoring rate makes him a handy all-rounder.

• Ishan Kishan

Image Source – Mumbai Indians

Kishan is a left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. In December 2015, he was named as the captain of India’s squad for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. In January 2018, he was bought by the Mumbai Indians in the 2018 IPL auction. He was the leading run-scorer for Jharkhand in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 405 runs in nine matches. Recently, the Jharkhand skipper Ishan Kishan has unleashed himself at the Vijay Hazare Trophy with 173 (94) runs including 11 sixes and 19 fours.

• Shivam Mavi

Image Source – ESPNcricinfo.com

KKR’s find of the season in 2020, Shivam Mavi combines good variations in his bowling length, line, and speed. At his economic best in the ICC U19 tournament, Mavi can become India’s death bowler of choice in the limited-overs matches.

• Devdutt Padikkal

Image Source – Times of India

He made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy on 28 November 2018. In December 2018, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League. He was also selected in Karnataka’s squad for the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Opening the batting for Karnataka in the domestic 50-overs tournament, Padikkal has crossed 50 in all of the matches and his scores in the tournament read 52, 97, 152, 126 not out, 145 not out and 101. Padikkal is the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 673 in six matches

• Kartik Tyagi

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India doesn’t have too many tall fast bowlers. Kartik Tyagi falls in that rare category. And that is why he is to be treasured. With the uncanny knack to nip the ball around at pace, Tyagi recently toured Australia with the triumphant Indian team, gaining invaluable experience as a net bowler. One does not doubt that he will get his international break sooner rather than later.

• Yashashvi Jaiswal

Image Source – The Statesman

On this list, Jaiswal rose to prominence with three successive centuries in the 2019 Vijay Hazare Trophy, another flamboyant left-handed batsman. He also distinguishes being the youngest cricketer to make a double in List A cricket, which bagged him a place in the India U19 team that played the last World Cup. Moreover, he was named the Player of the Tournament. 

• Kamlesh Nagarkoti

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Nagarkoti, along with Shivam Mavi, is poised to change the perception that India’s fast bowlers can’t clock 150kph consistently. With efficient workload management, this fast bowling sensation can reach dizzying heights of success!

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Image Source – India Today

In the world of cricket, there exist some long-standing rivalries between different nations. England and Australia have a rivalry that dates back to the very first test match ever played. Then there is the intense, high-voltage rivalry between India and Pakistan, which always manages to engage the cricketing world and keeps the fans on the edges of their seats. But over time, a modern rivalry has developed between two proud cricketing nations, Australia and India. The two countries have contested epic battles on the cricket field across all 3 formats over the last 3 decades. The test matches played between the two teams are contested for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

What is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is named after two of the greatest players to have played the game: Australia’s Allan Border and the legendary Sunil Gavaskar of India. The naming of the trophy fits as well; both players were the first two players to score over 10,000 test runs respectively; both led their countries at some point in their careers, and both were the World Record holders for the most career runs scored in Test Cricket.

Test Series Between India and Australia

The first edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was played in the 1996-97 season. India vs. Australia test matches were played before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 50 times over 49 years. After independence in 1947, India went to Australia on their 1st overseas tour. But with the rebranding of the test series between the two teams, India vs. Australia games have reached a new level of rivalry.

The series is played with varying lengths of time (usually 18 months apart). If a test series gets drawn, the team previously holding the trophy retains it. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been contested 15 times. India has won 9 times to Australia’s 5. The only drawn series between the two teams was played on Australian soil in the 2003-04 season, where India managed to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning it in the previous edition back home.

Some famous Indian and Australian Wins

The matches between both sides have given cricket fans thrill and excitement on numerous occasions. Matches with Australia have given some of the most memorable moments in Indian Cricket. The famous win at Kolkata in 2001, where Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman turned the tables on the Aussies, will spring instantly into mind for any fan of Indian Cricket.

Other famous wins at home, like the one in Mohali (2010), where India won by 1 wicket, are fondly remembered. The success of Indian Cricket on Australian shores is also cherished by the players and fans alike. The famous wins at Adelaide 2003, Perth in 2008, and most recently at Brisbane in 2021 will be in the minds of Indian Cricket enthusiasts for years to come. Series wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons are the shining examples of the progress made in Indian Cricket.

India vs Australia contests have always been of high intensity. Echoing the words of the former Australian great Steve Waugh from an Australian perspective, India has always remained the “final frontier” or the ultimate challenge for any visiting side. Before the Australian team’s win in the 2004-05 season, they had not won on Indian soil since 1969-70. The reasoning is further backed up by the fact that India has only lost 2 test series at home since the turn of the century: one being the aforementioned 2004-05 series vs. Australia and the 2012-13 series vs. England.

It is also worth mentioning that India was the team who ended Australia’s record runs of 16 consecutive Test wins, TWICE! On both occasions, India was victorious against the odds: Kolkata 2001 was the match where India managed to win even after being forced to follow-on. The victory at Perth in 2008 was an important milestone in Indian Cricket as India managed to defeat Australia at a venue where visiting teams had often capitulated.

Australia’s victory at Pune in 2017 also came as a stunning result as India had not lost a home Test in 5 seasons. These results have often been described as some of the best tests to be played, reflecting on the competitive nature of cricket matches played between the two countries. The player rivalries like Tendulkar vs. McGrath and Ponting v Harbhajan have also managed to grip the audience in their own right.

India script history at Gabba, retain Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2021 with 2-1 series win

Conclusion

A genuine modern rivalry has developed in World cricket alongside the existing long-standing rivalries like the England v Australia rivalry and the India-Pakistan rivalry. India vs Australia rivalry across all formats of the game is a spectacle. The rivalry between the two countries in Test Match Cricket for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is slowly but surely emerging as a new contest to look forward to for cricket enthusiasts worldwide.

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