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Speaking about Team India, Michael Hussey stated, “We will find out in the first Test match where they are at, mentally and from a skill perspective as well.”
Former cricket player Michael Hussey praised India’s top hitters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, ahead of the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy, saying that champion players like them cannot be written off. In Perth, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin play on November 22. The series’ second and third Test matches will be held in Adelaide and Brisbane, respectively. Melbourne will host the renowned Boxing Day Test. Sydney will host the series’ fifth and final Test starting on January 3.
He went on to say that many Indian players attract sizable audiences.Hussey stated in an interview with Fox Sports that Australians will not know India’s current status “mentally and from a skill perspective” until after the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match. India has a lot of players who draw large crowds, he continued.
“In the first Test match, we will learn where they stand both skill-wise and mentally. This is going to hurt them, India. They have a lot of quality and crowd-pulling performers. Gambhir just spoke to us about Rohit and Kohli’s lack of runs. “Writing off champion players is the most ridiculous thing you can do,” Hussey remarked.
He added that even though Virat and Rohit receive criticism, they consistently deliver.
“We have witnessed it numerous times before; they receive criticism but then go on to deliver excellent performances. I therefore believe they will do well in Australia. They are proud Test players and proud Indians. However, he continued, “I still think Australia will start as the favourites.”
India head coach Gautam Gambhir answered questions about Rohit and Kohli’s form earlier on Monday in a media appearance before leaving for Australia for the BGT series. The former batter called Ponting’s views on Indian cricket “irrelevant” and confirmed that both of the team’s top players are extremely passionate and hungry.
“No… What worries Ricky Ponting about Indian cricket? He ought to consider Australian cricket. Both Rohit and Virat are extremely tough men. They have accomplished a great deal for Indian cricket and will do so in the future,” Gambhir stated on Monday.
“They continue to put in a lot of effort. They remain fervent. There is still much more they hope to accomplish, and that is crucial. For me and the rest of the group in that dressing room, the hunger is of the utmost importance. Particularly in light of the events of the previous series, I sense a great deal of hunger,” he continued.
Both Rohit and Kohli have had difficulty finding their best form thus far in 2024, drawing criticism after India’s most recent 0–3 series loss to New Zealand. In 11 games this year, Rohit has amassed 588 runs at an average of 29.40, including two hundreds and two fifties. With just one half-century and an average of 22.72 from six games (12 innings), Kohli has only amassed 250 runs.
As India gets ready to play Australia, their performance is a major worry. They need to win the series 4-1 in order to guarantee their place in the World Test Championship Final (WTC). For India to advance to their third consecutive WTC final, Kohli and Rohit’s performances will be essential.