Ricky Ponting picks favourite team for Australia vs India Test series

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting is excited for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. He also opened up his views for this upcoming mega Test series. 

Australia will host the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 between 22nd November 2024 and 7th January 2025. India have won the last four Border-Gavaskar Trophies, including two in Australia. 

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 will be a five-match Test series. It will be the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a five-match Test series. Meanwhile, the India vs Australia five-match Test series was last played in the 1991/92 season in Australia. 

I'm going to say 3-1 to Australia: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting believes that the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a competitive series. The former Australian captain is also excited to experience the five-match Test series after a long time. 

Ponting said in the ICC Review, "It's going to be a competitive series and, as I said, I think Australia's got a bit of a point to prove against India in Australia on the back of what's happened the last two series here. We are back to five Tests as well, which is the other really important thing about this series. It's only been four Tests the last couple of times. Five Tests, I think everyone's really excited by that and I don't know if there'd be too many drawn games.”

Ponting believes that Australia will end their Test series drought against India this time. While Australia last won a Test series against India in the 2014/15 season at home, Ponting feels that the Baggy Green will win the upcoming five-match home Test series by 3-1.  

Ponting added, "I'm obviously going to tip Australia to win and I'm never going to tip against Australia. There will be a draw somewhere and there will be some bad weather somewhere, so I'm going to say 3-1 to Australia."

Ricky Ponting on opener Steven Smith

After David Warner’s retirement, Australia need to fill up the big gap in the opening batting position. Although Steven Smith took the Test opening challenge last season, during the West Indies tour of Australia and the Australia tour of New Zealand, it didn’t work smoothly. 

As an opener, Smith scored 171 runs in eight innings with an average of 28.50. Apart from 91 not out against the West Indies in the fourth innings of the day/night Brisbane Test, opener Smith managed only one more 30+ score. 

Speaking about the Australian Test opener issue, Ponting feels that Smith’s choice is important. 

Ponting said, "Probably the only one question there might be with Australia again, is if Smith's the right man to be opening the batting. That would be the only query that I can see there. But that was all about obviously bringing Cameron Green back into the side.

"So I'll rephrase it, not whether Smith's the right man to open the batting but whether he thinks it's the right spot for him. Because I think if he doesn't think it's the right spot then they'll make a change and get someone else back up there."