Australia is so competitive that all 11 players work together as one team": Virat Kohli before the BGT 2024-25 series

Before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 series between India and Australia, star player Virat Kohli shared his views on how Australia approaches Test cricket, the longest format of the game.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia is set to commence on November 22, 2024, with the first Test match at Perth Stadium.This five-match Test series will be played across various Australian venues, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. The series is highly anticipated, featuring top cricketing talent from both nations.

India has gained the upper hand over Australia in recent years, winning the last four series in a row, including two series in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. India has now won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 10 times, while Australia has won it five times, with their last win in 2014-15. Australia last won in India during the 2004-05 series.

Virat Kohli commented on Australia’s strong team spirit, saying, “I understand their mindset well; they’re so competitive that all 11 players are fully focused and know exactly what to do. This motivates me to raise my game because they are so skilled.” He shared this in a video posted by Star Sports on Instagram.

Virat Kohli has consistently excelled against Australia, amassing 2,042 runs in 25 Test matches at an average of 47.48, including eight centuries. His 'fiery' mantra for maintaining high energy and focus involves chanting 'Om Namah  Shivay' before each delivery. This practice, rooted in Hindu spirituality, helps him stay calm and concentrated during intense matches.

The second Test will take place from December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval and will be a day-night match played under lights. After that, the third Test will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 14 to 18.

The traditional Boxing Day Test is scheduled for December 26 to 30 at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground, marking an important point in the series.

The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, 2025, and it promises to be an exciting conclusion to the series.

Recently, India announced its squad for the five-match Test series in Australia, and fast bowler Mohammed Shami was not included due to injury concerns.

Opener Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team, with Jasprit Bumrah as his deputy.

India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy includes:

 Rohit Sharma , Jasprit Bumrah , Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant , Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel , R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.

The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will add to the long-standing rivalry between India and Australia. The team led by Pat Cummins will host India for a five-match Test series starting on November 22 in Perth. This is the first time since 1991 that these two teams will play five Tests against each other.

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has given an update about his availability for the first Test of the upcoming five-Test tour of Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting November 22 at the WACA ground in Perth. There are doubts about him playing in either the first or second Test due to personal reasons.

After India’s 25-run loss to New Zealand in Mumbai, Rohit faced the media and discussed the team’s 0-3 Test loss at home, which hasn’t happened since 2000.

When asked about his availability for the first Test against Australia, Rohit said, “Right now, I am not too sure whether I'll be going, but let's see. Fingers crossed.” If he misses the match, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to take over as captain.

Speaking about the upcoming five-match series against Australia, Rohit Sharma said, “Many players on our team have experience playing in Australia, while others don’t. That’s why we are going there early to adjust to the conditions since Australia is a tough place to play cricket. However, we can be confident because of how we performed in the last two series there. I’m focusing only on the Australia series; it’s very important for us.”

He added, “This will be a good challenge for both experienced players and those going for the first time. Right now, we need to understand what we did wrong in the past. We must address our mistakes. Once we arrive in Australia, it’s crucial to break down the five Tests and concentrate on one at a time.”

Rohit also mentioned that the team cannot afford another loss and needs to defeat Australia 4-0 or 5-0 to reach the final, regardless of past results.