Courtesy: BCCI/X
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has not yet made his Test debut for India, is reportedly being considered as the third opener for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series against Australia. The highly anticipated series is set to start on November 22, 2024, with the first Test match at the Optus Stadium in Perth, and for the first time since 1991-92, India and Australia will contest a five-match Test series.
India has won the last four editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a consistent 2-1 scoreline. They won in 2016/17, 2018/19, 2020/21, and 2022/23, continuing their dominance over Australia in this prestigious Test series. Currently ranked at the top of the World Test Championship points table, India will aim to continue their dominance over Australia in BGT 2024-25.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s potential chance of making Test debut for India
With Shubman Gill now batting at No. 3 and KL Rahul performing well in the middle order, Ruturaj Gaikwad is being looked at as a backup opener in the grand scheme of things after captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. India will play a long test season ahead, so it is important to have a backup opener, and with Ruturaj's consistent performances in red-ball cricket, he can be a good option.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was recently left out for the T20I series against Bangladesh, which is set to kick off on 6 October 2024. Some fans criticized the selectors for not picking him in the squad, but now it seems they are planning to prepare him for Test cricket. He is currently leading the Rest of India (ROI) in the ongoing Irani Cup 2024 clash against Mumbai in Lucknow. The 27-year-old has played 32 first-class matches and scored 2273 runs with an average of 42.88. He has hit six centuries and 12 fifties, showing his ability to perform well in red-ball cricket.
With that, the Indian selectors are looking at Gaikwad as the third opener for the Australia tour. A source told the Times of India, “The selectors want him as the third opener in Australia. Injuries can happen in a long five-test series, and Gaikwad is a good option. That’s why he’s playing in the Irani Cup.”
The BGT 2024/25 is going to be an exciting series with both teams competing for the World Test Championship 2023-2025 finals. Australia is looking to get back the BGT Trophy, while India is also preparing for a hat trick of a series win in Australia.
