IND vs AUS: Ricky Ponting predicts the winner of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Ricky Ponting has once again doubled down on his bold prediction for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, declaring that Australia will clinch the five-match Test series 3-1 against the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team.

With India coming from a humiliating 3-0 defeat at home against New Zealand into the high-voltage Test series, Ponting believes that Australia’s home advantage and their settled squad make them overwhelming favorites to end the tourists’ winning streak in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Ricky Ponting predicts Australia’s 3-1 victory over India in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

The Indian cricket team has a formidable batting lineup, but Ricky Ponting believes that India's biggest hurdle will be their ability to take 20 wickets throughout the five-match series in Australia, especially without their star pacer Mohammed Shami, who remains sidelined due to fitness issues.

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Mohammed Shami’s unavailability raised serious concerns for the Indian cricket team as they prepare to battle against Australia’s well-oiled bowling unit in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

The Indian selectors have named Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna in the Test squad, but the question remains whether they fill the void left by Shami’s absence in the upcoming Test series in Australia.

Taking 20 wickets in a Test will be the biggest challenge for India: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting said in the latest video on the ICC Review: “Probably more so now (than before). (Mohammed) Shami just leaves such a big hole in that bowling group. Back then (in August), there was still some conjecture about whether Shami would be fit or not. I think taking 20 wickets in a Test match for India is going to be the biggest challenge. I think they'll bat well enough out here with the current group of batters that they've got.”

However, Ricky Ponting is confident that the Indian cricket team will not leave empty-handed, predicting that Rohit Sharma and his team will win at least one Test in the five-match Test series, but he has full confidence that Australia will hold the upper hand overall.

The former Australian captain has further mentioned that Pat Cummins and his team’s experience and home advantage will likely see them dominate throughout the upcoming much-anticipated Test series, leaving India with a steep hill to climb on Australian soil.

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I'll stick with the 3-1 series win prediction for Australia: Ricky Ponting

For India to break their losing streak and qualify for the World Test Championship final, they would need to pull off a near-impossible 4-0 result in Australia. But Ponting’s prediction is crystal clear that unless Team India can significantly surprise Australians, the 3-1 result is sealed in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

He signed off by saying, “I think India will win a Test match somewhere through the five Test matches. But I still think now that Australia probably looks a bit more settled, a bit more experienced, and we know that they're a very hard team to beat at home. So, I'll stick with the 3-1.”

The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 will get underway on November 22 in Perth with the first Test, and Australia would love to play with Indian players’ minds over their whitewash at the hands of New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home.