India or Australia? Ex India selector predicts the winner of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Former India cricketer and ex-selector Jatin Paranjape recently made predictions for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia later this year.

Jatin Paranjape has backed the visitors, led by Rohit Sharma, to secure a hat-trick of Test series wins in Australia given there are no injuries to key players.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to be one of the most eagerly awaited Test series of the year.

The upcoming Test series is expected to be a closely fought contest, with star players from both teams and Rohit Sharma's team's recent successes in Australia. Australia is under more pressure to win on their home soil.

The visiting batting lineup is eager to embrace the upcoming challenge, while the bowling attack is expected to perform at their usual high standard.

For Australia, the key challenge is to find Usman Khawaja's opening partner in Tests. Australia has to manage the workload of their bowlers in the series.

Jatin Paranjape Makes His Prediction For Border-Gavaskar Trophy

In a conversation with TOI, Jatin Paranjape shared his thoughts on the outcome of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Paranjape predicted that the visitors would win the series with a margin of 3-2 or 4-1. He stated that only injuries to the visiting players may change the outcome of the series.

"I have a feeling the scoreline will be 3-2 India or 4-1 India. If nobody gets injured, this will be the result. India will definitely win the series," Paranjape said.

Australia Defeated India In Last Encounter In Test Cricket Last Year

The much-anticipated five-match Test series between the Men in Blue and Australia is scheduled to begin on November 22. The five Test matches will take place in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. The visitors will also play a two-day match against the Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Rohit Sharma's team has won the previous four red-ball series against Australia by a margin of 2-1. The Men in Blue have won two Test series in Australia in 2018–19 and 2020–21. However, the Pat Cummins-led team defeated the visitors in their latest encounter during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC final 2023).

Both Teams Will Be On The Front Foot - Jatin Paranjape

Jatin Paranjape said that Australia's lack of recent Test matches isn't a disadvantage for them. Paranjape added that both teams are aggressive and competitive, stating that neither Pat Cummins' Australia nor Rohit Sharma's team will be on the back foot.

"No, no. Both teams will be on the front foot. They’ll be like boxers going for a knockout—both Australia and India will be aggressive throughout the five Test matches. Pat Cummins’ Australia won’t be on the back foot, and neither will be Rohit Sharma’s India. It’s going to be a fascinating series to watch," Paranjape said.

The visitors and the hosts are currently in the top two positions in the 2023-25 World Test Championship standings. If they finish at the top of the table by the end of the cycle, they will meet again in next year's WTC final.

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