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One of the most highly anticipated series between India and Australia in the longest format of the game is the Border-Gavaskar trophy (BGT), which are India holding currently. Hardly an Indian fan forgets the moment when a young side defeated Australia at the Gabba, in Brisbane to clinch the trophy on second successive time.

The last time they faced Australia in a Test series, it was the beginning of the year 2023. India comfortably got the better of the Aussies in Nagpur with an innings and 132-run victory. The second of the four-match series also ran with the same flow as the home side blew away the visitors for a six wicket-win.

By then, India had already retained the BGT trophy once again, as both teams reached in Indore. Australia made a great comeback in the series with a nine-wicket win, under the leadership of Steve Smith, as regular captain Pat Cummins went back home due to personal reasons. The exciting series ended with a dull boring run-fest in Ahmedabad.

MCG to host the second India-A and Australia-A first-class game

Last time when India toured Australia, they ended with a series win by 2-1 margin. The hosts made a cracking start in Adelaide with a eight-wicket win, as concerns grew over the Indian team, with Mohammad Shami getting ruled out of the series, and Virat Kohli getting back home for paternity leave.

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Ajinkya Rahane was appointed to lead the team in Kohli’s absence for the rest of the three games. The Indian team handed debut caps to Mohammad Siraj and Shubman Gill, as they made a great comeback in the series in the ‘Boxing Day Test’ in Melbourne with a two-wicket win.

Somehow, Ravichandran Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari made sure India won’t lose the third Test in Sydney as both stood them and fought before the firing bowling of the Australia pacers. Going into Gabba, India already welcomed Rohit Sharma in the team, but they were without their senior members of the side.

Still the team showed enough resilience and determination to earn a deserving three-wicket win in the 329-run chase on the fifth day.

Now before the upcoming away Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/ ’25, the visiting India side have been boosted with the news of two first-class matches being scheduled before the start of the series, which will offer the players a chance to get along with the alien conditions.

The first game of the series will take place at the Great Barrier Redd Arena ground, in Mackay from October 31 to November 3, 2024, while the second first-class game will be held from November 7-10 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, as the cricket.com.au as announced on Tuesday.

The Indian team is also expected to play an intra-squad match against India-A in Perth from November 15-17, as the senior member side look to aim their hat-trick of Test series win on the Australian soil. Last time, the MCG hosted an Australian-A side was back in 2020, when they took on the England Lions in a day-night affair.

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‘Hosting those A matches at the upgraded Great Barrier Reef Arena and the MCG give these ‘A’ matches significant status and will provide great opportunities to players from both sides to put up their hand for selection,” The Head of Cricket Operations and scheduling of Cricket Australia, Peter Roach expressed.

This is the first time the series will be played for five Tests in more than 30-years. It’s quite incredible that India have been unbeaten against Australia in a Test series since 2017.