India Vs Australia 2023

India handed Test debuts to white-ball specialist Suryakumar Yadav and wicketkeeper KS Bharat for the first Test of the four-match series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha here on Thursday .Former India captain and coach Ravi Shastri handed his India Test cap to Yadav while Cheteshwar Pujara gave it to Bharat at the VCA Stadium.

After playing the first Test at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur, India and Australia will play the next three Tests in New Delhi (February 17-21), Dharamshala (March 1-5) and Ahmedabad (March 9-13). India are the current holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, having won the last three series against Australia in 2017, 2018-19 and 2020-21. Australia, on the other hand, last won a Test series in India in 2004.

India is currently placed second on the World Test Championship (WTC) table and will need to win the series to qualify for the final. In an exclusive interaction with host broadcaster Star Sports, Warner talked about the fierce India-Australia rivalry, who will win the trophy and more.

There are a lot of things at stake in the four-match series as Australia have not won a series in India since 2004 and India hoping to maintain their domination at home. But underlining the contest between the two countries is an intense battle for the spots in the World Test Championship Final, to be played later this year.

However, in recent times, it has been proved that if the fans expect a tough contest, they will come out to the stadiums to watch the proceedings, not bothered whether the game will last three hours, eight hours or five days. If the contest is good and strong teams are involved, the battles in the field are good enough to entice the spectators as big crowds at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and other venues have proved.

Australia have not won a series in India since 2004 and before that, they had returned disappointed in the country for more than three decades. But more galling for the Australians is the fact that India have won the last three editions of the Border-Gavaskar Series -- twice in Australia. The last time India lost a series to Australia was in 2014-15.