Former Indian cricketer and selector Jatin Paranjape has expressed confidence in Team India’s ability to secure a hat-trick of Test series wins in Australia. Paranjape believes that under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India will continue their dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and defeat Australia for the third consecutive time on their home turf.
The highly anticipated five-match Test series between India and Australia is set to kick off in November. India has previously won back-to-back Test series in Australia, first under Virat Kohli in 2018–19 and then under Ajinkya Rahane in 2020–21.
Paranjape predicts a 3-2 or 4-1 victory for India, stating that the team will be “definitely” victorious if injuries do not occur. He also discussed the fitness of Mohammed Shami, suggesting that Akash Deep could replace him if he is unavailable.
Regarding Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion from the Test XI against Bangladesh, Paranjape emphasized the intense competition for batting spots. He believes that Khan may be taken to Australia as a reserve player and that he should continue to perform well to earn his chance.
For the third opener role, Paranjape considers Shubman Gill and KL Rahul as potential candidates. He also mentioned Prithvi Shaw as a dark horse, highlighting his talent but acknowledging the tough competition.
Paranjape advised caution in managing Mayank Yadav’s workload, suggesting that he should focus on first-class cricket for the next year or two before being considered for red-ball cricket. He emphasized the importance of bowling to improve and believes that Yadav’s strength and conditioning should be prioritized.
Despite Australia’s recent lack of Test cricket, Paranjape expects both teams to be aggressive and competitive throughout the series. He believes that Pat Cummins’ Australia will not be at a disadvantage and that the series will be “fascinating to watch.”
