The most important Test series of the ICC World Test Championship 2024-25 cycle will start from November 22 in Perth. This time, five Test matches are to be played between India and Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy instead of four and the result of this Test series will decide whether India will be able to make it to the final of WTC 2023-25 or not.
The first match of the Test series is to be played in Perth from 22 November. The Indian team has organized a secret training camp at Perth’s old test venue WACA i.e. Western Australia Cricket Association. Nets have been installed around the WACA stadium and it has been closed to the public. Virat Kohli was the first player from the Indian Test team to reach Perth, arriving just two weeks before the start of the series against Australia. It is difficult for captain Rohit Sharma to play in the first test match of the series.
According to a report in The West Australian, the WACA stadium is currently in lockdown, which is reminiscent of the time when the Indian team reached Perth during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Its boundaries were covered with nets and closed to the public and apart from this, even the stadium staff were not allowed to use phones inside.
India were scheduled to play a practice game against the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India A team, which was already in Australia for a two-match unofficial Test series against Australia A. However, BCCI will play the practice match as the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the clean sweep against New Zealand in the home Test series.
