A Test series against Australia is a transformative experience after which an individual “goes back a better cricketer” is what head coach Gautam Gambhir and some of the star senior players have been trying to instil in the younger members of the team on their first tour ‘Down Under’. It will be a baptism of fire for several young Indian players, with the visitors naming as many as eight squad members who have never played a Test match on Australian soil. The likes of Yashaswi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna, all of them on their maiden tours will have plenty to prove during the marquee series, starting here from November 22.

And who better than the troika of Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin, both on their fifth Test tours (2011-12, 14-15, 18-19, 20-21) and Jasprit Bumrah, who is on his third red ball tour (2018-19, 20-21) to share their invaluable learnings from the past series.

“Gauti bhai (Gambhir) had a chat with the boys just before we started, we had some of the senior boys as well,” Nayar said in video posted by bcci.tv. on Thursday.

“Booms (Bumrah), Virat , Ash (Ashwin) having a chat with the guys how first they came here as youngsters with a lot of seniors around and how they sort of felt that once you finish an Australia series you go back a better cricketer.” “I think the young boys are very keen, raring to go and hopefully make a name for themsleves bu the end of this tour.

“It’s one of the toughest challenges for an Indian cricketer coming here and overcoming it, Nayar added.

Bowling coach Morne Morkel described the series as “a showpiece on the international calendar” and predicted that both teams would go hard at each other in every session.

“I think it’s a showpiece on the international calendar since it’s going to be teams that not going to give anybody an inch or a sniff and it is going to be hard-fought sessions,” Morkel said “I’m hopeful for the five Test matches is hard. Five days of cricket when you sit after the day’s play and you take your shoes off and say ‘Listen, I have given it all’,” he added.

Since 2014-15, Australia have not been able to lay their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with India winning four consecutive series including the historic triumphs Down Under in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

India remain the only Asian nation to beat the Australia at their backyard in a Test series.

They are the only team Australia have failed to defeat in their last 16 Test series.

“It’s become a big part of Indian cricket to come here and do well. It’s obviously a very proud moment that India won here twice in the last two times as well as winning it in India,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said. 

With India captain Rohit Sharma reported to miss the 1st Test against Australia in Perth, the team management is sorting out options to replace him at the top of the order for the game at the Optus Stadium, starting November 22. Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is part of the squad for the series, having enjoyed a brilliant start to his First Class season. Despite batting in the middle-order in the home series’ against Bangladesh and New Zealand, KL Rahul is another contender to replace Rohit at the top.

Ahead of the 1st Test, both Easwaran and Rahul got some much-needed game time in Australian conditions during the two unofficial Tests against Australia A, but failed to impress the team management.

However, former batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels India have hit the panic button by putting Rahul in a direct face-off against Easwaran. He also urged the selectors and the team management to end their fascination over backing Rahul.

“Clearly, India is in panic mode. They are a bit shaken by what happened against New Zealand at home. And that’s when plans start to go awry. And that is where I believe that one has to actually look at it in a different way, where you think there’s nothing to lose here. So that is the time when you go back and do the right thing. And play players who deserve to get a chance. KL Rahul. You know, I don’t know, there’s some fascination that the team management, selectors have for him that they just want him part of the playing 11, whether it’s at the top or down the order,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

Manjrekar also told the management to make the right choice by handing Easwaran his debut, instead of playing Rahul, who continues to get chances despite regular failures.

“Maybe Abhimanyu Easwaran hasn’t convinced them as much. But it’s not for us to play God and decide that maybe Abhimanyu Easwaran won’t get run in the Test match. We’ve had many examples in the past where players have surprised you by the performances. Sometimes you yourself are surprised by your own sort of performance as to the height that you reach. So keep it simple and make the right choice.”

“I would actually say KL Rahul should consider himself very lucky to be getting opportunities. Such comebacks and opportunities, very few players over the years in the history of Indian cricket have been given this kind of a deal. So whether it’s up the order, down the order, doesn’t matter as long as he’s getting a chance to play in the Playing XI, despite the kind of record that he has. Now the average has dropped to 33 after 50 Test matches. I guess somewhere they hope that KL Rahul might find that form that he’s capable of,” he added.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar analysed Abhimanyu Easwaran and KL Rahul’s poor showing during the second match between India A and Australia A and also offered an important advice to batters making their first tour to the country. Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting with Perth Test on November 22, KL and Easwaran got some much-needed game time in Australian conditions during the two unofficial Tests against Australia A. While Easwaran failed to touch 20-run mark in all four innings played, the experienced KL also failed to deliver, scoring 4 and 10 in the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

This puts doubt to their participation in the first Test at Perth. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to miss the match due to personal reasons and the race for opening spot is between these two players.

Speaking in a video by ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said that the dismissal of India A batters is very similar to what any Indian batter would experience during their first time playing in Australia. He also added that the Indian team is heading into the tour as “underconfident” after a home series loss to New Zealand, with key players like Rohit and Virat Kohli not in form

Manjrekar also offered a word of advice, urging Indian batters to get rid of “Indian instincts” while playing and adapting to Australian conditions.

“I guess in many ways India have gone there (Australia) slightly underconfident because of what happened just prior to that tour (0-3 loss to New Zealand at home) and their main players Rohit and Virat clearly out of form,” said Manjrekar.

“The dismissal that you saw of most Indian batters was typical of an Indian batter going to Australia and a pitch that has some juice in it where instinctively they are playing in a certain manner and are surprised by the the extra bounce and that happened to all of us.”

“We went to Australia and that is why we needed time to get used to the bounce and instinctively sort of play a little higher than you would. So you have to get rid of the Indian instincts. KL and Easwaran, not a great start. So the battle between them heats up even more,” he concluded.

While Easwaran could make his international debut after 101 first-class matches, 7,674 runs and 27 centuries, KL has plenty of Australian experience by his side. Against Australia, KL has scored 618 runs in 19 innings at an average of 34.33, with a century and six fifties and best individual score of 110. However in five matches in Australia, KL’s numbers are poor, scoring 187 runs in nine innings at an average of 20.77, with a century to his name.

The much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia kicks off on November 22, with the first Test at Perth.

The second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.

The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series’ penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.