The Indian host broadcasters of the upcoming edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia are advertising the series as ‘the toughest rivalry’. Like most things in life, cricket rivalry, among the top of the pops, is also subjective. But this one, especially over the last few editions, has become increasingly spicier.

India and Pakistan don’t play bilateral cricket anymore. And let’s face it, for a sport whose Test version is played by a total of 12 nations, a clash between the Number 1 (Australia) and Number 2 (India) teams, and that too on mostly fiery Aussie pitches, is a main course to drool over. Add to that the statistical hors d’oeuvres of India having won the last four versions of this rivalry (2016-2023), including back-to-back historic series wins the last two times they toured Kangaroo Land, and you have yourself a meal to die for.

A High-Stakes Game

This time, don’t be surprised though if the five-match series breaks all viewership records. After all, this enticing meal also has the added spice of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two batting Titans of the sport, perhaps playing their last series Down Under. But that is not what will make the biggest headlines. Those will undoubtedly be reserved for their performances with the bat. After all, there is very little doubt that the number of runs these two players end up scoring and how big an impact they have on positive results for their team will determine how many miles there are still left in their Test journeys. Needless to say, the upcoming series is an extremely important one – for the team overall and for these two stalwarts of Indian cricket, along with a couple of other ‘super seniors’ like R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. The entire cricketing fraternity will be watching very, very closely.

And that begs the question—what will happen, realistically, if Virat and Rohit’s bats are largely silent in Australia this time, just like they were against Bangladesh and then New Zealand, when India were whitewashed 0-3 at home for the first time in a Test series?

Virat and Rohit, who are synonymous with Indian cricket, have over the years been tagged by many as rivals, adversaries and competitors. Right now, however, they find themselves in the same boat, trying to weather the same storm, with time running out. The two also found themselves right next to each other on the run charts of the recent Test series vs the Kiwis, as Numbers 12 and 13, respectively. Virat scored 93 runs in six innings and Rohit scored 91.

Dawn Of The Young

No athlete wants to go out on a low—especially not Virat and Rohit, who we saw bowing out big when they announced their T20 international retirements right after India won the last edition of the T20 World Cup. They knew that the second, even third-rung players, were more or less fully baked—especially in the shortest format of the game—with a whole host of young talent ready to break down the senior team door. Similar thoughts must be running in their heads right now ahead of the Test series with the Aussies. Change is already imminent. Sarfaraz Khan has a century and three fifties in the six Tests he has played so far. Abhimanyu Easwaran, a First-Class legend for Bengal, is itching to make his Test debut. Dhruv Jurel, the son of a Kargil war veteran, recently averaged 74 in two innings for India A in the second unofficial Test against Australia A, with scores of 80 and 68. All three are in the India squad for the series against Australia.

Virat and Rohit’s biggest priority right now will be to prove to the world—and perhaps to themselves, too—that they can still convert the hunger in their bellies to Test runs on the board. They have to do that against the top-ranked team in the world – both in the Test rankings and on the 2023-25 WTC cycle points table, and, that too, in their own den. The head curator of Western Australia cricket has promised that the drop-in pitch for the first Test in Perth will have great pace and bounce. 

Why Australia Is A Litmus Test

Nothing short of a litmus test awaits the duo. Virat for one will take confidence from the fact that he has a very good record on Aussie shores—an average of over 54 in 13 Tests, with a highest score of 169 and overall, six centuries. This might just be the perfect setting for him to roar back to form. Rohit’s batting average in Australia, 31.38, is not great, but it’s not too bad either. He is yet to score a century Down Under.

It’s no secret that at 36 and 37, respectively, Virat and Rohit are in the twilight of their careers. Both would have given serious thought to Test retirement and set rough timelines and goals. Remember, Test cricket is also the most physically demanding format. Also, there’s no doubt that they would have both fantasised about helping India win the ICC WTC Final at Lord’s in June next year, something the team hasn’t managed to do yet despite being finalists in both the completed editions so far (2019-21 and 2021-23). Apart from beating the Aussies in their own backyard for the third straight time, there is also the added incentive now of qualifying for that final (though India need to win 4-0 to qualify on their own). The final outcome of that pursuit could also play a big role in determining Virat and Rohit’s Test futures. If all the pieces fall into place, it could well be the perfect time for them to bring the curtain down on their Test careers, silence the critics, and then leave nothing to chance. 

England Is Beckoning

However, here’s the catch—the big difference this time as compared to the last T20 World Cup, when they chose to ride into the international T20 sunset on a high, is that if they manage to bounce back hard in Australia and play a series-defining knocks, it perhaps won’t be that easy for them to take the call to end their Test careers. There’s another high-profile Test series on foreign soil coming up in about seven months, with India scheduled to tour England for a five-Test series from June to August of 2025. That is too tempting a chance to miss, especially at this stage of their careers. They have to make sure that they are very much in the mix when the squad for that tour is picked.

The bottom line is perhaps that it’s now or never for both star batters, because the one thing that both these senior players would like to avoid like the plague is the ignominy of being dropped by the selectors. And that is a real possibility if they don’t get at least a few big scores each and if the team overall doesn’t do well. BCCI sources have been quoted as saying that they will not be on the flight to the UK to play England if India fail to qualify for the WTC Final. At home, in the series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, Virat’s average in 10 innings was under 23, while Rohit’s was 13.30.TC Final.

Don’t Write The Champions Off

Beyond these calculations though, let’s not forget that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are titans of the sport. You can count them out, sure, but only at your own peril. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, while describing the two batters as ‘incredibly tough men’, made it a point to convey the message that the two are still very ‘hungry’. It’s the same hunger that saw a certain Sachin Tendulkar silence his critics after 2003, when his Test average dropped to 17, and then again around 2005-2007, when critics said that it was time for him to hang up his boots. Michael Hussey recently talked about how it is “silly” to write off champion players.

Sure, some might also argue that things are different now. Star value matters, but questions are asked. Gambhir himself has said that he wants his players to be ‘absolutely selfless’.

Ultimately though, everything is likely to boil down to a few very simple questions—were there any ultimatums given in the chat that the BCCI, the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, and the coach had with Rohit after the New Zealand series debacle? If the two star players do fail in Australia and are still kept in the mix, how prepared are the Indian Board and the coach to weather the storm of the inevitable public outcry? And, the most important of questions: what exactly are Rohit and Virat themselves feeling in their bones right now?

The one thing you can bet on is that neither player would want to be pushed out.

(The author is a former sports editor and primetime sports news anchor. He is currently a columnist, features writer and stage actor)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Canberra:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that the comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia is growing steadily as he met his Australian counterpart Penny Wong for the 15th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue here.

Both the leaders also discussed “respective neighbourhoods, Indo-Pacific, West Asia, Ukraine and the global strategic scenario.” “Concluded the 15th India – Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with FM @SenatorWong in Canberra today. Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is growing steadily. Reflected in stronger political ties, robust defence & security cooperation, expanded trade, greater mobility and deeper educational linkages,” Mr Jaishankar posted on X.

“Discussed our respective neighbourhoods, Indo-Pacific, West Asia, Ukraine and the global strategic scenario,” his post said.

Taking to X, Ms Wong said,” Australia and India’s partnership is central to the peace, stability and prosperity of our shared region. Today, I welcomed my good friend @DrSJaishankar to Canberra for the 15th Australia-India Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.” Wong also announced that Australia will send a ‘First Nations Business Mission’ to India for the first time next year. The mission will support new commercial partnerships for First Nations businesses looking to engage with India and will promote First Nation businesses to new markets overseas.

She further posted, “We’re cooperating in important sectors including science and technology, clean energy, agriculture, education and skills, and tourism. Today, I announced the Albanese Government is funding 6 impressive projects under the Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership.” Meanwhile, the Australian foreign ministry said in a press release that,” Australia and India are close partners with strong strategic, economic and community ties – almost one million Australians trace their heritage to India. We share a vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.” “Ahead of 2025 – the fifth year of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue is an opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made, and to chart the way forward for the next phase in our relationship,” it said.

The statement said that both the leaders “will discuss how we can advance our cooperation in important sectors – including science and technology, clean energy, trade and investment – and how we can deepen our defence and maritime security engagement.” “India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy, and on track to be the third largest by the end of the decade. India is an essential partner as we diversify our trade links and secure our supply chains,” it said.

The two leaders will also attend ‘Raisina Down Under’, the Australian iteration of India’s Raisina Dialogue.

The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the international community. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Richard Marles congratulated Rajnath Singh for taking charge as the Defence Minister for a second consecutive term. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephone conversation with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on July 4 and the discussions focused on closer collaboration between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific. 

“We reviewed a range of issues pertaining to defence cooperation and discussed closer collaboration between India and Australia in the Indo-Pacific. We place great value on India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia,” Mr. Singh said on social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). 

Both Ministers noted the transformative progress in defence cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership, and appreciated the momentum achieved in the ties since the last India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which the two Ministers attended in November 2023, a Defence Ministry statement said. Australia considers India a top-tier security partner in their National Defence Strategy document released few months back.

Mr. Richard Marles congratulated Rajnath Singh for taking charge as the Defence Minister for a second consecutive term, and appreciated the functioning of the Indian democratic system wherein people voted in large numbers, the statement added.

Philip Green, Australian Envoy to India. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Any bilateral relationship can experience “occasional speed bumps” but our strategic, economic, and people to people partnerships with India are very strong, said Philip Green, Australian Envoy to India. “I am very confident we will move ahead with great velocity in the years to come.” The envoy refused to answer questions on “intelligence matters.”

Last week, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia will uphold its democratic values in the face of “foreign interference”. She was responding to reports that India had at one point in the past operated a “nest of spies” on Australian soil. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) had reported that Indian ‘spies’ were “kicked out” after they were “caught trying to steal secrets about sensitive defence projects and airport security.”

Strategic balance

“India is an indispensable part of the balancing… and the strategic balance in the Indian Ocean cannot be fashioned without engagement with India… Beyond the defence domain, and this is really important, we see India as a key partner in economic security. We want to develop better supply chain resilience… Beyond that, India is a key part of our trade diversification agenda,” Mr. Green said speaking at the Observer Research Foundation.

On April 17, Australia released its new National Defence Strategy (NDS) 2024 which termed India a “top-tier security partner” and said that through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, the government is continuing to prioritise “practical and tangible cooperation” that directly contributes to Indo-Pacific stability. The Envoy said what is most notable is how fast India has become a top tier partner, compared to many others. It happened over the last five years, he noted.

Mr. Green said the Indo-Pacific region is experiencing superpower competition and boundary disputes are intensifying. “China is undertaking the biggest military buildup the world has seen since World War II. And that build up is happening without transparency or strategic reassurance,” he stated.

Chinese arms build up

He also referred to China’s territorial disputes and how it managed them. Given the strategic risks, the Envoy said they want a region where the large and the mighty don’t dominate the small and the less mighty.

What we are seeking to establish for ourselves is a sustainable strategic balance and a region where states can express their sovereignty and freedom, Mr. Green stated.

Australia is doubling down on military capability, Mr. Green said noting that defence spending has increased from 2.1% to 2.4% of GDP and the Army is being transformed into an amphibious force, while the surface combat fleet is being doubled.

The Envoy said recent bilateral visits have tempered the relationship with China. He said they have reached a “new equilibrium” with China. We know we have differences with China and we are able to express the problems and discuss them in private and exist side by side, he said noting that China is a very important trade and economic partner.

New Delhi:

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia this year, politician and the 32nd Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, Milton Dick has said that the reception he got in Sydney was of a rockstar one.

Praising the popularity of PM Modi across the globe, Australian speaker Milton Dick, in an exclusive interview with ANI on Thursday, said, “Our PM (Anthony Albanese) visited here, and indeed Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia earlier this year. I can’t underscore just how important those visits are. We have seen our PM visit twice and a very successful visit by PM Modi to Australia. In my lifetime, I have never seen such a response or such avidly pouring support for a world leader and it was such a privilege for our country to host the Prime Minister.”

“The reception he received in Sydney was really one of a rockstar. Thousands of people turned out. And, if you go to Australia, there are 1 million people of Indian heritage…Not only does that make our country stronger but it makes our link even stronger between India and Australia,” he said.

Speaking further on PM Modi’s popularity as a world leader, he added, “I think the Prime Minister has worked hard on building those relationships… even our Prime Minister values those friendships as well. I guess it is about ensuring over the last year to year and a half where we have seen ministers visiting from here to India. This is not my first visit to India and I came to India as a newly elected member of the parliament in 2018. It was a very visit for me as a parliamentarian and it shaped my views and values about the Indian economy and the Indian community. And now as the 32nd speaker of the House of Representatives to lead a delegation to India has been the honour of a lifetime.”

During his three-day visit to Australia in May this year, PM Modi held bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Albanese and also addressed a historic community programme. He also met several business leaders and eminent Australians. Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, the venue for the community event, saw thousands of overseas Indians.

At the community event, Australian PM Albanese compared PM Modi’s mass appeal with that of the famed rockstar Bruce Springsteen, who incidentally is famed among his fans as “The Boss.”

The Australia-India relationship is already strong, but both saw the potential for growth and an opportunity for a better future.

PM Modi also thanked the people of Australia, the Government of Australia and his Australian counterpart for the warm welcome and hospitality. PM Modi reassured that the two leaders would work together to strengthen the friendship of the two countries.

The Australian speaker also spoke about the G20 Summit which was conducted under India’s Presidency this year.

He said, “I will be discussing important issues as part of presiding officers of the G20 which India has done a brilliant job by hosting this year.”

On the question related to SDGs and climate, he said, “The title of the G20 agenda is one earth, one family, one future —and I think the unification that we have seen is a result of the G20 conversations that we could walk at the beginning to now, have really dealt with really some important issues…Australia places great importance on G20.”

Emphasising on strong bilateral partnership between India and Australia, the Australian politician said that both countries share a love of Democracy, and the ties are emerging stronger than ever.

“Australia and India share a love of Democracy and our parliaments are getting stronger and stronger all the time. We will be looking forward to meeting with Speaker Om Birla– a speaker of great respect around the region and across the globe…Our relationship has never been stronger or I believe never deeper in its engagement,” he said.

Furthermore, he also said that the people-to-people ties between India and Australia are also at their best and that Australia is open to more business with India as the future is strong in the region.

“I think if you look at one specific…– the economic agreement that was signed last year, and the ongoing work that is ongoing between the two countries around the comprehensive free trade agreement…as negotiations continue…we will see sooner rather than later…We certainly are open for more business in Australia with India…we know the future is strong here in this region and those economic partnerships continue to strengthen the people-to-people relationships,” he added.

Notably, the Presiding officers of G20 member countries and invited countries have begun to arrive in New Delhi for the opening of the 9th edition of the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20 Summit).

The Australian speaker is also in the national capital to participate in the Summit.

The P20 Summit brings together speakers/heads of legislatures of G20 member countries and guest countries to explore how Parliaments might effectively advance global governance, bringing a parliamentary perspective to governance challenges and solutions towards addressing them.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)