India will lock horns against Australia in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth, starting this Friday.
The Men in Blue is heading into this game after losing their three-match home Test series 3-0 to New Zealand. This was the first time India had lost the series to New Zealand at home and the first home series defeat for India in 12 years. Now, they are shifting their focus to the crucial Australia Test tour.
Meanwhile, the Australia team, who last played their Test match in March this year against New Zealand, will be looking to start the home Test series on a winning note.
The series becomes crucial for both teams as they will be competing to secure their qualification in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2025. Both teams are currently in the top two positions of the WTC points table.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Australia vs. India 1st Test live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Test match in Australia:
- TV Channel: Foxtel, Channel 7
- Live stream: Kayo, 7Plus
This game is available for the live TV broadcast on Foxtel's dedicated cricket channel – Fox Cricket –and Channel 7 in Australia. You can also live stream this game on Kayo.
New users to Kayo can currently sign up to a FREE trial.
What time does Australia vs. India 1st Test kick off?
This ODI match takes place at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia and kicks off on Friday, November 22 at 10:20 a.m. local time (AWST).
Here's how that time translates across Australia:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Australian Eastern Daylight Time | Fri, Nov 22 | 1:20 p.m. |
| Australian Central Daylight Time | Fri, Nov 22 | 12:50 p.m. |
| Australian Western Standard Time | Fri, Nov 22 | 10:20 a.m. |
Australia vs. India 1st Test team news
The Australia team under the leadership of Pat Cummins will be looking to win the opening match and start the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series on a high note.
The Australian squad boasts a good mixture of experience and fresh talent. Steve Smith will be back at his original number 4 position in the upcoming BGT.
Marnus Labuschagne will be batting at number 3. The middle order of the team looks solid with the presence of Travis Head, who will be returning back to the Test squad after his paternity leave, Alex Carey, and Mitchell Marsh.
The bowling unit will be led by Mitchell Starc with his other two partners, Josh Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins himself. The only spinner in the team is Nathan Lyon, who is capable enough to destroy the Indian batting lineup single-handedly.
It is worth mentioning that Australia has handed the maiden call-up to Josh Inglis for the backup wicketkeeping duties and another opener, Nathan McSweeney, who is likely to debut for his national cricket team in the Perth Test.
Australia predicted XI: Usman Khwaja, N McSweeney, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Labuschagne, Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Lyon, Pat Cummins (c), Starc, Hazlewood.
After a disappointing home series loss to New Zealand, India will be eager to make a strong comeback in this series. Skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the match to stay in India with his wife, who has recently given birth to their second child.
Virat Kohli's batting struggles in the New Zealand series also raise concerns regarding the batting order. The opening combination remains uncertain, with Yashasvi Jaiswal likely to partner Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill injured his fingers during a slip-catching drill, and is ruled out from the opening match. Dhruv Jurel might step in to fill the number 5 position, KL Rahul will make the cut to number 3 then.
India's middle order seems more stable, featuring Rishabh Pant. The two all-rounders could be Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, with Ravichandran Ashwin possibly missing out due to the pitch conditions.
In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to lead the attack and also captain the team in Rohit’s absence. He could be supported by Mohammed Siraj. Harshit Rana is likely to get his Test debut cap for this opening encounter.
India predicted XI: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Siraj.
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