With the 2024 T20 World Cup done and dusted, India's upcoming tour of Australia for a five-match Test series is arguably the most anticipated cricket event of the year. The fact that Australia have not been able to beat India in a Test series since 2015 only adds to an already spicy rivalry.

Test series between the two sides tend to be replete with mind games before and during the matches and it hasn't been too different this year. A number of former Australian players have admitted that it will be an event contest, with Geoff Lawson even stating that it could be the greatest series of this century thus far, but backed their side to come out on top. Former India captain and batting great Sunil Gavaskar has lamented the fact that there hasn't been a repost from the visiting side yet but then went on to provide a bit of a counter-punch himself.

“Already the mind games have begun with Australian players both current and former airing their views about what the result would be,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for Mid-Day. “While they (Australia) are not making Glenn McGrath-like statements of a clean sweep they are still suggesting that Australia will prevail. Sadly, apart from Ravi Shastri no other former or current player has seen to counter the mind games which the Aussies are so good at."

Gavaskar then said that perhaps Ravichandran Ashwin could do something in this matter. “Maybe Ravichandran Ashwin should start telling us about a special delivery that he is developing for Steve Smith, that is of course if he continues to open the batting and can survive Jasprit Bumrah,” Gavaskar wrote.

'Five home Test matches good for mental tuning'

The first Test in Australia begins only on November 1, before which India will be hosting Bangladesh and New Zealand at home. Apart from Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and captain Rohit Sharma, all India regulars are playing in the Duleep Trophy, and in some cases smaller domestic tournaments before that, to prepare for the home series. India host Bangladesh for two Tests followed by New Zealand for three.

“The five Test matches that India play (at home) before they go to Australia will be good for the mental tuning that is required for a tough tour like that,” wrote Gavaskar.

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