The Indian men’s cricket team will travel to Australia later this year to take part in a five-match Test series. The 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to start on November 22 in Perth, and then the action will shift to Adelaide, where both teams will face each other in a pink-ball day-night Test at Adelaide Oval from December 6. The final three matches are scheduled to take place in Brisbane (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30), and Sydney (January 3-7).
Even though there is still time for series to start, talks about it have begun both in India and Australia. Days after former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting backed Australia to get the better of India this time around and win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15, star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has sent a warning to the Baggy Greens by saying that India will start as the favourites to win the series once again.
“Favourites toh hum hi hai, chinta unhe honi chahiye (We are the favourites; they should be worried),” Shami was quoted as saying by PTI on Saturday.
Shami was on fire in the ODI World Cup 2023. He picked up 24 wickets in seven matches for the Rohit Sharma-led side, but since then, he has been out of action due to an ankle injury.
The 34-year-old pacer, who has 229 wickets to his name in 64 Tests played so far, said he is trying to make a comeback as soon as possible and has hinted that he may play a few Ranji Trophy matches before representing India.
“Koshish jaldi hi kar raha hoon kyun ke main janta hoon kaafi time ho gaya hai team se bahar rehte hue (I am working hard to make a comeback soon because I know I have been out of action for quite some time). However, I want to ensure there is no discomfort when I return. I’ve got to work on my fitness so that there is no discomfort,” Shami told reporters during the Cricket Association of Bengal’s (CAB) annual awards ceremony in Kolkata.
“The stronger I return, the better it is for me. I don’t want to rush and risk getting injured again, be it against Bangladesh, New Zealand, or the Australia series. I’ve already started bowling, but I won’t take any chances until I am 100% fit.”
“If I need to play domestic cricket to test my fitness, I will. What matters most is that I am fully ready for whatever comes next, regardless of the opposition or format,” Shami added.
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