Mumbai: Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said this year’s five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting from November 22 in Perth, has all the makings of a great and unbelievable series.
Australia have not won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in their backyard since 2014/15, as India prevailed over them in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 series. For this year, the series has been expanded to five Test matches to be hosted by Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney from November 22 to January 7, 2025.
“It's going to be an unbelievable series, isn't it? Historic series, and actually not without great minds coming together to make what is a premier tournament even more special by extending it to five Test matches. I always feel like three Test matches, well two Test matches is just a horrible series.”
“Four Test matches, you ultimately have a bit of cricket, but there's always that swinging boat. Whereas five Test matches, you've got a chance to win, you also get a chance to lose, and then you've got a chance to come back and win. So it gives the whole concept of a drawn Test match series not so much of a chance to breathe. So I love it, it's going to be a great series,” said Hayden to reporters on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai.
It will be the first Test series between India and Australia to have five matches since 1992. The build-up to the prestigious clash will see India play five Tests at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand, while the India ‘A’ team is also slated to play two four-day matches in Mackay and Brisbane before the all-important series begins.
