"I'm going to say 3-1 to Australia" - Ricky Ponting backs the Aussies to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has predicted the Aussies to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a 3-1 margin later this year. India and Australia are set to face off in a highly-anticipated five-match series, with the former looking to win a historic third consecutive series Down Under.
Australia have lost their last three series against India but did manage to beat them in a one-off clash in 2023 to win the World Test Championship (WTC). The two heavyweights are favorites to make it to the final of the current cycle as they are placed at the top of the table for now.
"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," Ponting said in the recent edition of the ICC Review.
The 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to begin from November 22 onwards in Perth. The second Test in Adelaide is set to be a pink-ball contest while the series will end with the New Year's Test in Sydney.
"I think India is now sitting right on the back of what an Ashes clash is like" - Ricky Ponting
Australia had a dominant home record against India up until the 2018-19 series. The Men in Blue came close at times to record a win or two, but they struggled to go the distance.
However, the new-look Indian Test team instilled with aggression has made a huge statement by recording successive series wins on Australian soil, with the most recent one in 2021 arguably being their most iconic win away from home.
Ponting spoke about how the India-Australia clashes in recent times have been evenly contested, along with some iconic matches and moments that have led to the rivalry being placed right on top in cricketing folklore.
"That's when I think India seemingly really started to stand up to the fight and say, OK you're playing against India now. This is a different Indian team, we've got different leaders and different players and we're going to do it whatever we can to beat you guys - whether it's in India or in Australia," Ponting said in the same interaction.
"I've said for the last couple of years now, Australia have always had a fierce rivalry with England, obviously, and a very strong rivalry with South Africa. But I think India is now sitting right on the back of what an Ashes clash is like and probably overtaken the rivalry with South Africa," Ponting concluded.
Both teams are heading into a major transition in red-ball cricket, which marks the upcoming series of great importance across several counts.