The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a hotly-anticipated Test series between two of the top teams in world cricket. India and Australia have a long and storied history of intense competition, and this series promises to be no different.
As the teams gear up for the series opener in Nagpur, there is much speculation about who will make up India's playing XI. With a wealth of talented players to choose from, the Indian team management has a difficult task ahead of them.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri is one of many who believe that Suryakumar Yadav should be included in the lineup for the first Test. Despite not having made his Test debut yet, Shastri believes that Suryakumar has the potential to be a game-changer. He feels that the key to success in India is to rotate the strike and disrupt the opposition, and Suryakumar is capable of doing just that.
Sunil Joshi, a former selector for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), also included Suryakumar in his predicted lineup, ahead of veteran Cheteshwar Pujara. This decision sparked some controversy, with former India pacer Dodda Ganesh taking a dig at Joshi without mentioning him by name. Ganesh expressed his disbelief that a player who has not yet played a Test match could be considered for selection ahead of Pujara, who has established himself as a key player in the Indian Test team.
With Shreyas Iyer out of the first Test, Suryakumar's inclusion could come at his expense, rather than Pujara's, who remains a key player in the Test format. With both India and Australia fielding talented and experienced teams, the series is sure to be a showcase of world-class cricket and intense competition. Whether Suryakumar will be included in the lineup or not remains to be seen, but one thing is certain - the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is shaping up to be a thrilling spectacle for cricket fans around the world.