Marnus Labuschagne. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

A shattering defeat to New Zealand on home soil would have caused a “little bit of damage” to India’s confidence, but Australia will not make the mistake of underestimating the visitors, said charismatic batter Marnus Labuschagne in Perth on Tuesday (November 19, 2024).

The world No. 2 India are heading into the five-Test Border-Gavaskar series, starting in Perth on Friday (November 22, 2024), following their whitewash at home, which ended their 12-year unbeaten run in their own backyard.

Australia’s middle-order mainstay Labuschagne believes the loss to the Kiwis would have dented India’s confidence.

“It’s really hard to judge. They played in completely different conditions—spindling conditions—but having India come here off the back of a loss at home is something that’s never happened before (in my career),” Labuschagne told the media.

“I think that is a good thing in terms of… they are probably a little bit lower on confidence, not coming off a Test victory, losing to New Zealand 3-0. I think that’s going to do a little bit of damage to their confidence,” he added.

However, Labuschagne insisted that Australia, who have lost each of their last four series to India both home and away, will have to guard against complacency.

“They’re a quality lineup, and they’re one of the best teams in the world. So you can never underestimate a team like that,” he said.

India staged an incredible comeback on their last Australia tour in 2020-21 to win 2-1, despite the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli and injuries to several other frontline players along the way.

“That’s what happened in 2021 — the likes of (T) Natarajan played, (Mohammad) Siraj got his first crack in Australia, Washington Sundar played,” Labuschagne recalled.

“They had all these guys that were probably a little bit new—Shubman (Gill) played those couple of games (in the 2020-21 series) – so there were new faces around,” he added.

With India set to take the field without regular captain Rohit Sharma and No. 3 batter Gill in the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Labuschagne said India have enough talent in their ranks to meet all challenges.

“They’re a quality line-up, and they’ve shown that over a period of time. You can’t ever underestimate the depth of Indian cricket,” he said.

“Anyone that gets the opportunity to play for India has had to do a lot of hard work and find their way into that side… to actually play for a team like that, you have to be a very good player,” Labuschagne added.

Critics are questioning Virat Kohli’s place in the side, but Australia has often been a stage for his redemption. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, India’s star batter Virat Kohli reflected on his best knock in Australia, identifying his century during the 2018/19 series as his favourite.

Virat Kohli is a player often celebrated on Australian soil.

While his past performances have matched the hype, this series presents a make-or-break scenario for the superstar. He faces the dual challenge of regaining form and overcoming technical struggles while holding on to his spot in the Test side amid pressure from emerging talent poised to step into the playing eleven.

“My best knock in Australia is definitely my 100 at Perth in the 2018/19 series. I thought that was the toughest pitch I played on. It was great to get a 100 on that wicket,” Kohli said in a video shared by the BCCI.

However, the series comes at a time when Kohli is far from his best. In 19 international matches this year, the 80-time centurion has managed just 488 runs at an alarmingly low average of 20.33 with only two half-centuries in 25 innings and a top score of 76.

His decline in Test cricket has been particularly disheartening, as his current form contrasts sharply with the heights he achieved between 2016 and 2019.

During that period, Kohli amassed 4,208 runs in tests at an extraordinary average of 66.79, including 16 centuries, 10 fifties, and a record seven double centuries as a captain.

Since 2020, however, he has struggled in the longest format, scoring just 1,838 runs in 34 Tests at an average of 31.68 with only two centuries and nine fifties. His lean patch was further highlighted during this year’s home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand, where he scored just 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33 with one fifty. This dip in form saw him drop out of the ICC Men’s Test batting rankings’ Top 20 for the first time in a decade.

Critics are questioning Kohli’s place in the side, but Australia has often been a stage for his redemption. It remains to be seen whether he can script another comeback in this series.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins on November 22 with the first Test at Perth. The second Test, a day-night match under lights, will be played at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. The third Test will take place at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 14 to 18. The iconic Boxing Day Test will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26 to 30, leading to the series finale at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7. The five-test series promises a thrilling contest and dramatic conclusion.