Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma’s former opening partner, is optimistic that the Indian cricket team captain will lead the national team to a third consecutive Test series victory in Australia later this year in BGT 2024-25.
India had never won a Test series in Australia until the 2018-19 series, when they also won the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy Down Under. However, India’s recent 3-0 home loss to New Zealand, their first 3-0 Test series loss, has cast doubt on their hopes and Rohit Sharma’s ability to lead the side to a hat-trick of series victories in Australia.
This was exacerbated by the poor batting form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rohit scored 93 runs in 6 innings of the New Zealand Test series with one fifty, while Kohli made 91 runs with a best score of 70.
Despite all that transpired, Dhawan remains of the belief that the experience that these two hold shall help anchor the squad to not just betterment, but a hattrick of wins at Australia.
“I believe we have a solid chance to bag a hat-trick of title wins in Australia. We’ve done exceptionally well in the last two series there. I’m sure the team will go to Australia with a positive, winning mindset. Rohit, Virat, and even Bumrah have played extensively in Australia, and they’ll share their experiences with the younger players,” Shikhar Dhawan told Times of India.
Rohit Sharma may miss the first Test in Perth as PTI reported that he and his wife Ritika are expecting their second child shortly.
Shikhar Dhawan is confident of new generation doing well in Australia
Dhawan also expressed his confidence and belief in the youngsters coming through the ranks such as Sarfaraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and stated that they shall adapt to the conditions effectively and thrive.
“This new generation is confident, motivated, and eager to perform. They’ve established themselves quickly on the international stage, which is a tremendous advantage for us in Australia. And though pace is always a challenge there, our batters are well-prepared to handle it,” he added.
Following the Test series loss to New Zealand, India dropped to second place on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, while Australia ascended to first. Now, if India wants to reach their third consecutive final, they must defeat the Australians 4-0 to qualify on their own.
The highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin on November 22 with the first Test in Perth.
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