Perth Test Preview: Who will land the first blow in heavyweight opening bout?

The stage is set at the Optus stadium in Perth. In the red corner, we have Australia who carry the home advantage with them heading into the monumental Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, aiming to seal their spot in the World Test Championship final next year. In the blue corner, a wounded Indian team comes in with their WTC final hopes hanging by a thread. The home series loss to New Zealand is still fresh in the minds of the fans and, to an extent, the players as well.
However, recent history in Australia backs the Indian team, who secured memorable and historic wins in 2018-19 and 2020-21 overcoming adversities. The Aussies will be aiming to reassert their dominance over the Indian team at home and the feeling is truly that of a high-pressure and exciting boxing clash. While the fans can expect this to be more exciting than the recent Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul, the viewership could even surpass the numbers set by the infamous NetFlix bout.
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Both teams come into the contest with a bit of uncertainty in both the camps. For Australia, it’s all about that batting order. Ever since David Warner decided to end his international career, the opener’s spot has been a problem area. The Steven Smith experiment was a mixed bag and the star batter decided it would be best for him to return to the No.4 spot.
A big audition was conducted for who would be the next partner for Usman Khawaja as Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and the young Sam Konstas were in the mix. However, it was Nathan McSweeney who would get the nod, given his impressive performances in the Sheffield Shield and the Australia-A vs India-A unofficial Tests.
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But, McSweeney is someone who has never batted as an opener and this will surely be the big test for him. The form of Marnus Labuschagne and Smith is also a concern coming into the match. Labuschagne, in particular, has had a rough time in the longest format of the game. Since the Ashes 2023, he is averaging 29.68 in Test cricket and that will have to change for Australia. The absence of Cameron Green does rock the balance of the side and Mitchell Marsh may have to pull off double duty for a bit.
For India, it’s all about the absences in the team and finding the right mix. Captain Rohit Sharma won’t be on the field when the team lines up in Perth, while Shubman Gill injured his thumb in the run-up to the match and is a serious doubt for the game. Mohammed Shami could be joining the side after the Adelaide Test next month and India may have to call up youth for the match, starting on November 22.
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The match also features a rare occurence these days in international cricket as both the captains for the match will be bowlers. Cummins has led from the front since taking over the skipper’s role, delivering big wins in the form of the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup 2023, both at the expense of India.
For Jasprit Bumrah, this will be the second time he will take on the mantle in Test cricket. The pacer has been in and around the leadership group for some time and was awarded vice-captaincy before the start of the series.
Both men are hoping that pacers becoming captains can be a tradition moving forward and will hope to lead the bowling attack of their respective teams effectively.
“I don’t have to say anything about Virat Kohli, the batter. He is one of the greats of the game. I don’t need to give him any special input. He is the utmost professional. He is one of the leaders. I made my debut under him. He knows what he is doing. Okay, one or two series, here and there, can up and down,” Jasprit Bumrah said on Thursday, November 21.
The stand-in skipper has put his support around Kohli heading into the Perth Test. Things haven’t been great for the star batter coming into the contest as he has had a horrendous run in 2024. In 6 matches so far, Kohli has just 250 runs at an average of just above 22. The New Zealand series would yield just 93 runs across 3 matches and all eyes will be on the Indian star.
With the absence of Rohit, the Indian batting order will look up to Kohli for inspiration and he is the perfect role model for his numbers in Australia. Kohli has scored 1352 runs in 13 matches down under with 6 hundreds and 4 fifties to go with it.
For India to win the Perth Test, they would need their main man to step up in a big way. India will need the 2014-15 Kohli to make a return and so do the fans.
In Australia, India have played 52 Tests, winning only nine and losing 30. Notably, four of those nine victories came in their last two memorable tours.
India’s predicted playing XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli. Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, R Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah (C), Mohammed Siraj
Australia’s predicted playing XI:
Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Mitchell Marsh, Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.
The Optus Stadium pitch has a reputation for pace and bounce but lacks the ferocity of the iconic WACA, which is no longer in use for Test cricket. Dry weather often leads to cracks, aiding seamers and spinners alike as the game progresses. However, recent persistent rain has limited pitch preparations, potentially reducing deterioration.
The stage is set for these two heavyweights to go all out in an exciting bout and there will be a lot of strategy going into this fight. Whoever, blinks first amongst the two could be knocked down and may find it tough to recover.