With the 2024 T20 World Cup done, India's five-match Test series in Australia later this year is arguably the most anticipated cricketing event left this year. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been expanded into a five-Test series from this year. While that and just the rivalry between India and Australia should be enough to spice up the series, the fact that the latter are looking to avoid a hat-trick of Test series defeats to India at home takes it to a different level.

While Indian fans of a certain vintage would remember not even dreaming of seeing their side win a single Test match in Australia, the Baggy Greens have now gone nearly 10 years without a series win against India in the longest format. While they won the World Test Championship final against India last year, Australia's last Test series win against them came in 2014/15. Since then, they have suffered four consecutive 2-1 losses at home and away. In fact, Australia have beaten India just twice in a Test series 2009.

Former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson feels that it is very difficult to predict a winner in the upcoming series. “The two teams are very evenly matched across all facets and India have the recent Down Under-winning experiences to mentally fall back on if they are under pressure,” he is quoted as saying by Mid-Day.

“Picking a winner is fraught with all sorts of peril which is exactly how the fans want this series to unfold. I’m very uncertainly going for an Australian win 3-2.”

'Can't see any draws'

Lawson said that the dry conditions that are expected in the Australian summer, coupled with both sides' result-oriented approach, means that there may not be too many draws during the series.

“With a hot dry Australian summer predicted, I can’t see there being any draws as these two teams have an attacking penchant and the players to deliver quick runs and batting collapses. This could be the best Test series of the 21st century so far and will remind us of how Test cricket is the premium form of the game,” he said.