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Team India still has a chance to qualify for the final of the ongoing World Test Championship 2025-27 (WTC 2025-27) cycle; however, the road to the final has narrowed, as they have only two Test series left in the Championship. The remaining two Test series will be against New Zealand and then against Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).
The Test series against Australia will be crucial in determining which two teams will go to the final, as both India and Australia are keen on playing in the final of the WTC 2025-27. Ahead of the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is scheduled to start next year on January 21, captain Shubman Gill comes up with a suggestion.
Shubman Gill wants spin-friendly wickets against Australia in the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy
BGT 2026 will be in India, so India will have the home advantage. Gill wants to utilize it. When India travelled to Australia for the previous edition of the prestigious contest, the Aussies welcomed them with pace-friendly wickets. Shubman Gill's wish is to welcome the Aussies with some turners.
The hosts of the next BGT can prepare spin-friendly tracks, but Indian batters themselves have a history of going wrong-footed against quality spin bowling, and Shubman Gill knows it very well. So, as per a Times of India report, the India captain wants to test most of his Test team batters against the Australia A cricket team on turners.
Shubman Gill wants to test his Test team batters against Australia A
The Australian men's team will tour India in January and February 2027 for a five-Test series, while an Australia A side is visiting India in September and October 2026. Gill eyes the Australia A tour as the stage to prepare the Test team batters.
“Indian batters have not been at their best against spin at home over the last two years. Gill suggested that if a few batters could be given game time against Australia ‘A’, with the pitches taking some turn during the course of the matches, it would help them prepare for the BGT. Obviously, the touring Australia A team won’t be given absolute rank turners with an eye on the BGT, but it wouldn’t hurt if the pitches took some turn later in the match,” a BCCI source informed TOI.
The Irani Cup schedule is likely to dent Shubman Gill's plans
Shubman Gill's demands have some valid ground, but there will be difficulties for the selectors to name all of the top Test batters against Australia A, as they will have to select the Rest of India team as well for the Irani Cup. For the Rest of India team, the selectors are likely to name a star-studded squad which could dent Gill's plan ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“The problem with the schedule is that there will be very few Test players available for the ‘A’ match. Otherwise, the Rest of India team for the Irani Cup will not be as strong as the selectors would like it to be, and that could affect the standard of the match,” the source added.
