India still have a long way to go for the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, which will be begin in the final week of November in Australia. But with India having begun their preparations for the series, with the ongoing home contest against Bangladesh, followed by a three-match tie against New Zealand next month, experts have already started placing their predictions for the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India have not lost the bilateral Test trophy against Australia in nine years, having last conceded the title following a 2-0 loss in the 2014/15 series Down Under. India's four-straight title win hence includes two at home and two in Australia, which happened in back-to-back editions.

Despite India's supremacy, former cricketers Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist backed with Australia to reclaim the trophy.

Speaking on Club Prairie Fire podcast on YouTube, the former England captain said: “I think it is the best series that world cricket can see at this minute. The two best teams. I think it's going to be 3-1 Australia.”

Gilchrist, who has been part of five Border-Gavaskar series, where Australia won three of them, added: “I'm guessing a drawn Test in Sydney due to rain, which seems to happen every year. But I will say 3-2 to Australia. This Australian side has several players who have never beaten India and so they will be up for that challenge.”

However, former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh backed India to retain the title. He predicted saying: “Two guys have gone for Australia, so I should add India here. I would say 3-2 to India.”

Following the statement from the two-time World Cup winner, Vaughan took a cheeky dig saying that if India lose the series, he can always claim “moral victory.” He said: “You can always claim a moral victory as well if it doesn't go your way.”

Yuvraj smiled and replied: “We'll take it.”

Vaughan savaged with 'egg on face' reminder

The 3-1 prediction from Vaughan did not sit well with Indian fans on social media as they gave him a brutal reminder to his "egg on my face" tweet from 2021.

When India had incurred the infamous Adelaide loss in December 2020, in the pink-ball Test, after being folded for just 36, Vaughan was among the experts who savaged the Virat Kohli-led side and predicted that they would suffer a 4-0 whitewash. However, the Indian team, who were without Kohli for the rest of the series and had most of their mainstay players injured, bounced back under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane to script a 2-1 win, which included a historic victory at the Gabba.

"Wow .. That has to go down as one of the greatest if not the greatest Test victory of all time !! Egg on my face over here in the UK .. but I love to see character & skill .. India have it in abundance .. btw @RealShubmanGill & @RishabhPant17 are future superstars ! #AUSvIND," he had tweeted in January 2021 after India win in the fourth Test of the series.

The 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar series will begin on November 22 and end on January 7, and will be a five-match contest.

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