Australian public adored him: Matthew Hayden praises India's 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy champion

With the 2024 T20 World Cup now in the rearview mirror, cricket fans around the world are eagerly awaiting India's upcoming five-match Test series in Australia. This anticipated event is shaping up to be the highlight of the cricketing calendar for the rest of the year. The matches between these two cricketing giants have been nothing short of epic in recent years, with the rivalry producing some of the most memorable moments in cricket history. From thrilling last-minute victories to heartbreaking defeats, the India-Australia rivalry has never failed to captivate fans. Adding to the excitement is Australia's desperate quest to reclaim the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a title they haven't held in nearly a decade. With the pressure on their shoulders to avoid a hat-trick of Test series defeats at home to India, the Australians will be giving it their all in what promises to be a fiercely contested tour. As the countdown to the Test series begins, cricket enthusiasts can expect a tour filled with drama, tension, and fierce competition as India and Australia go head-to-head once again on the cricket field. It's a showdown that no cricket fan will want to miss.

India recorded their first-ever series win in Australia in 2018/19. They then incredibly followed it up with another win in 2020/21, despite most of their first-team regulars being ruled out over the course of the tour due to injuries and other reasons. Rishabh Pant's aggressive batting was a key factor in this, particularly in the last Test where he bludgeoned his way to an unbeaten 89 and led India to a historic victory at the Gabba. Former Australia batter Matthew Hayden said that he would be interested in how Pant fares this time and how India's batters in general will approach the hosts' bowling lineup.

"Guys like Rishabh Pant have got a muscle memory and the thirst for victory. He was such a key player last time he played there and the Australian public loved him as well, because of the nature of the way he played his game," Hayden said at the CEAT Cricket Awards.

"It was exciting. It was innovative. It was just fresh and good. Then you have got your old stewards, like Virat Kohli, (he) will want to make an impression again. From a batting point of view, I'm excited to see how India have that strategy to take on the Australian conditions," Hayden added.

Australia looking to break out of a rut

The last time Australia beat India in a bilateral Test series was in 2014/15. Like s teams in the world, Australia have since never really come close to challenging India's hegemony at home but more importantly, there were a number of dubious inflicted on them at home in the previous two series that they hosted.

The 2018/19 series marked the first time that Australia lost a Test series at home to any Asian side. That series did come in the immediate aftermath of the infamous 2018 ball tampering scandal which meant that Australia could avail the services of Steve Smith or David Warner. However, the tables were turned in terms of personnel in 2020/21 and Australia ended up losing that series as well. The hosts fielded a full-strength squad for all games and India were left bruised after the first Test, which they lost by 10 wickets after being all out for 36 runs in their second innings.

Captain and talisman Virat Kohli left the tour after that for the birth of his first child while key pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out with an injury. Over the course of the series, India lost the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to injury. And yet, India recorded a stirring win at the MCG and an incredible draw in Sydney. They then became the first team since Viv Richards' world-beating West Indies in 1988 to beat Australia in a Test match at the Gabba and thus won the series 2-1.

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