The battle for the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia is about to commence. I thought it would be a fun to do a combined XI between India and Australia. There are plenty of tantalising match-ups, Rohit Sharma or David Warner, Cheteshwar Pujara or Marnus Labuschagne and Jasprit Bumrah or Mitchell Starc, to name a few.
I’m just in two minds about how to select the combined XI: do I base it on current form or how well the players have played against the opposing team in the past? For instance, if I base it on current form Khawaja is in one of the opening spots. However, if I base it on how the players have fared against the opposition in the past then KL Rahul for India and David Warner would have a claim on the opening batting spots.
Rahul was the third top run-scorer with 393 runs in the 2017 Test series when Australia last travelled to India.
It’s easier if I pick a combined XI from both squads that have been selected and I will base it on the current form they’ve shown. It is also assumed that this combined XI would play in India.
Usman Khawaja – Opening batter
vs India: 4 matches, 8 innings, 198 runs
Khawaja is definitely in the combined XI purely based on his current form. He has only played against India once before and that was in the 2017-18 series in Australia where Steve Smith and David Warner were banned. In that series he struggled a bit for form. His best batting display was clearly the important knock of 72 he made in Perth, which allowed Australia to win that Test match.
Rohit Sharma – Opening batter
vs Australia: 7 matches, 14 innings, 408 runs
The omission here is David Warner. Against India Warner has made 1148 runs in 18 matches, but only 388 of those have come in India. Rohit Sharma had a quiet 2022 on the Test format front, only playing two Tests. However, in 2021 he made 906 runs highlighted by a 161 against England in India.
Cheteshwar Pujara – 3
vs Australia: 20 matches, 37 innings, 1893 runs
It’s a very tough call to choose either Cheteshwar Pujara or Marnus Labuschagne. The fact that this combined XI is set to play in India just swings it in Punjara’s favour. You can’t deny what the first drop has done over a long period of time. He’s in good recent form coming off a 90 and 102 not out against Bangladesh.
Cheteshwar Pujara (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Virat Kohli – 4
vs Australia: 20 matches, 36 innings, 1682 runs
Virat Kohli comes into the combined XI at No.4. We’ve seen he’s back into some good batting form during the one-day internationals. Although, he’d want to translate that onto the Test arena.
The last time Australia toured India in 2017 he had a torrid time of it. He played the first three Tests, which included five innings of scores of 0, 13, 12, 15 and 6.
The reason that he is batting at 4 and the next batter Steve Smith is at 5 is because the Australian has a better record at 5 than Kohli.
Kohli, batting at 5 in 29 innings, has made 1021 runs at an average of 39.26. Smith at No.5 in 26 innings has made 1258 at 57.18.
Steve Smith – 5
vs India: 14 matches, 28 innings, 1742 runs
Steve Smith is once again in sublime form after some quiet years by his lofty standards. He punished both the West Indies and South Africa during the Australian summer.
India holds no demons for him. In 2013, his first tour there, he made a 92. In 2017 he topped the scoring for the series with 499 runs including three centuries. However, Australia lost the series and Smith will be keen to turn that around more than anything else.
Ravindra Jadeja – All-rounder
vs Australia: 12 matches, 16 innings, 387 runs, 63 wickets
Ravindra Jadeja is recovering from a right knee injury but he is still set to take his spot in India’s starting XI so he’s included in this combined XI. He is the quintessential all-rounder especially for Indian conditions. He is a constant threat with the ball, damaging with the bat and an elite fielder. A big series by Jadeja could go a long way towards India winning the series.
Alex Carey – Wicketkeeper
he has not played against India
I’m doing a combined XI from the players who are currently in the squad. Rishab Pant if healthy would definitely be in. He would be in most world combined XIs. He is still recovering from the car accident; I’ve chosen Alex Carey instead.
Carey has performed well in recent times, especially with the bat in hand. In 2022 he made 536 runs at 48.72 and importantly a quick strike rate of 61.25. Coming into bat at No.7, it’s important to keep the scoreboard ticking over. He brought up his maiden century in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. He has struggled with wicketkeeping on occasions, he will be tested in the subcontinent.
Ravichandran Ashwin – Spin bowler
vs Australia: 18 matches, 89 wickets, 457 runs
Ravichandran Ashwin is a class spinner in all conditions. He’s had good success against Australia in the past. He’s closing in on 450 Test wickets. A reason why he’s in ahead of Nathan Lyon is he is more than useful with the bat in hand. He averages 27.41, including five centuries and 13 fifties.
Pat Cummins – Captain and fast bowler
vs India: 10 matches, 18 innings, 43 wickets
The new captain faces his toughest series to date. Cummins got a taste of what India was like in the 2017 tour, he’ll be keen to test himself again. The captaincy hasn’t slowed his bowling down; he claimed 36 wickets in 2022. He had some success recently in Pakistan, claiming eight wickets for the match to win the series. India will be different conditions – again Cummins will be up for it.
Can the captain lead Australia to victory in India? (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Jasprit Bumrah – Pace bowler
vs Australia: 7 matches, 14 innings, 32 wickets
Jasprit Bumrah will miss the first two Tests due to ongoing back stress fractures. However, it’s expected he will be added to the squad for the remaining two Test matches. It’s a tough choice to pick between Mitchell Starc or Bumrah. The Indian has a good record against Australia, albeit from a small sample size: in seven matches he’s taken 32 wickets at 21.25.
The thing that swings it in Bumrah’s favour over Starc is their respective records in India. India is not usually helpful for fast bowlers, they’ve both played four matches there. Bumrah has taken 14 wickets and Starc seven. The big difference is the averages: Bumrah with 15.64, Starc with 50.14.
Axar Patel – Spin bowler
Axar Patel has never played against Australia before
His record in India in unbelievable. In six games he has taken 39 wickets at 12.43. India are likely to make spin-friendly pitches, and if they do Patel, Ashwin, Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav if he plays will have lots of success. Patel can also contribute valuable runs at the end of the innings, he made 52 against New Zealand in 2021.
So that’s my combined XI that would go very well against any other country. Both of these countries are pretty evenly matched. Both teams have experienced players as well as some new talent coming through.
A key factor throughout the series will be if Australia’s top to middle batting order can stand up. Particularly, the players who haven’t played in India before Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head. Of course they still have Steve Smith who has a very good record in India.
India will be hoping that their top order batters can deliver some runs. In the recent Test series against Bangladesh, it was the likes of Rishab Pant and Shreyas Iyer rescuing India. It’s always a good sign if middle order batters are getting runs.
Both teams have very strong bowling attacks it should be an evenly contested series. Although, It’s hard to back against India in India.
Nobody likes a smarta*s
Roar Rookie
Interesting!
Donal Wilson
Roar Rookie
Yea all of those calls are very good.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
You can do the same analysis regarding all overseas tests and find similar results. Warners record outside of Australia is mediocre, yes, but it’s above average compared to other top order Australian batsmen not named Smith during his era.
Mo
Guest
I respect Warner but his batting averages outside Australia aren’t great. It’s not just his time in India.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Interesting numbers and it continues to amaze me about the sport Aussies make of Michael Clarke. It is particularly amazing how many mock his courage. He was so gritty, so focused...and so successful.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
By the end of the series, it is likely to be: Warner Ussie Marnus Smith Head Green Carey Agar Morris Shami Lyon
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
This is a good concept, thanks Donal and my comments need to be considered in light of my being Australian. That said, you've left out the number 1 test batsman in the world and a spinner with > 450 test wickets as well as batted the best batsman for the last decade and perhaps the second-best Australian ever, who is in absolute top form, out of position. Thus, out goes Pujara and Patel, in comes Labushagne and Lyon, Kohli moves down to 5 and Smith up to 4. You'd better hope the groundsman produces a dust bowl or you will drive Bumrah and Cummins into the ground. Just two quicks is a gamble I wouldn't take so I'd get rid of Jadega and bring in Green as my allrounder
Vamsi K
Roar Rookie
If you are considering current form only then Kohli, even if I like what he brings on the whole, shouldn't have made the team. S Iyer is in good form. And with regards keeping place most alternatives are new with less experience, but if you yourselves feel that Carey is prone to mistakes, then he shouldn't be in the team irrespective of his batting ability. Because a WK primary responsibility is to keep wickets and it is even more challenging to keep on turning tracks to spinners. As such I would have probably went ahead with KS Bharat or Ishan Kishan. Both have similar FC average and have experience to keep in Indian conditions.
jammel
Roar Rookie
Yes, eg for a Test in Australia rn, I'd go: Khawaja Pujara Labushagne Smith Kohli Green Carey+ CumminsC Bumrah Hazlewood Lyon Cummins would have to be the captain - as for a domestic series I'd have 8 Australians! :)
Tempo
Roar Rookie
The thing with Warner is, yes his record in India is poor, but so is the record of almost all Australian batsmen not named Smith over the last 10 years. Here is a complete list of Australian batsmen averaging more than 30 in India in the last 10 years: - Steve Smith: 660 runs at 60 (3 100s, 1 50) - Michael Clarke: 286 runs at 48 (1 100, 1 50) - Ed Cowan: 265 runs at 33 (1 50) - Mitchell Starc: 263 runs at 33 (2 50s) - Moises Henriques: 156 runs at 31.2 (2 50s) Aside from Smith, you’ve got two long retired batsmen, a fast bowler, and 36 year old Mo who scored all his runs on debut and didn’t make another decent score in test cricket. And apart from Smith and Clarke, the other three only barely scraped past a 30 average. Now as a senior batsman, Warner really should be on that list and featuring second to Smith amongst the current squad. So he has fallen far short of what the team has needed from him in India. But there isn’t a whole lot of evidence that the alternatives will outperform him – Renshaw and Handscomb have only managed to average 29 and 28 in India themselves. So whoever you’re picking – whether Warner or someone else, you’re picking in hope rather than any real evidence that they are likely to succeed.
jammel
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't play either Warner or KL Rahul myself. I'd have Pujara or even Marnus opening instead of KL....
jammel
Roar Rookie
Yes, that's right Tempo. If you count red ball form over the last 2-3 years, Kohli isn't in the team, I do agree. That's why I suggested above that he possibly wouldn't make this XI. It's a matter of opinion of course. Kohli needs Test runs. His Test average is now 48.9...it has been descending for a good while now. IMO I don't think he'll finish his career with an average above 50....
Tempo
Roar Rookie
I think that's a pretty fair side for Indian conditions. I'd make a couple of changes personally: - Play Pujara as opener instead of KL Rahul. Pujara has been more consistent at test level than Rahul and can easily open and has done it previously. - Smith should bat above Kohli. He's a superior test batsman and has a great record in India. He's also in much better form than Kohli in test cricket. - I'd also play Shami above Siraj though you can't go too wrong with any of the Indian pacers at home. 7 Indians, 4 Australians - probably a fair indication of why India are strong favourites for the series.
Michael
Guest
Yep you've done pretty well, don't think you should have spent any time mulling over Warner though. With a Test average in the mid 20s in India after a big sample size I don't think he should have been in the touring squad let alone a combined side.
Davico
Roar Pro
You really need to do 3 combined teams to make it fair. One for a Test in India One for a Test in Australia And one for a Test in say England/NZ
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Yep, it's rather curious logic. The best batter in the team bats in their best position, and the others fit around that. If Smith had a better record at 5 than 4 then the author's selection would make sense, but he doesn't. If you're looking at current form Kohli probably doesn't even make the team. He's averaging mid-20s in the last 3 years of test cricket - batting at No.4. That said, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if he turns up for this series.
jammel
Roar Rookie
To be clear on the points re where Smith should bat, it is true as the author says that Smith outperforms Kohli at #5. However, it is also - more significantly true I believe - that Smith outperforms Kohli at #5. Both have played the majority of their careers batting at four - and Smith averages 67.99 there, whereas Kohli averages 52.69 there. The gulf is immense - IMO Smith should bat at four, and Kohli probably makes the team at five.
Brian
Guest
Rohit Rahul Labuschagne Kohli Smith Carey Jadeja Patel Ashwin Cummins Siraj
jammel
Roar Rookie
Smith would bat four - his Test record is vastly superior to Kohli. It isn't even close. Kohli would probably bat 5 then. Test cricket for mine is the best form of the game - always has been, always will be :) Marnus has to play - at #3 (with Pujara opening, or instead of Rohit opening or instead of Kohli - I don't mind).