Maxwell feels the Virat-Steve battle during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be exciting

News Mania Desk/ Sohom Chatterjee / 13th September 2024

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia will begin on November 22. Players from both teams along with the fans are excited for this much-awaited tournament.

Although there is still more than one month’s time till the series starts, the players and pundits have been busy with the interviews and predictions. In such an interview, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who has played only seven tests for the Kangaroos since last played in 2017, has speculated that the Kohli-Smith battle will be a spectacle for the fans of the sport.

Considered among the ‘Fab Fours’ batters of this generation apart from Joe Root and Kane Williamson, both Virat and Steve have been immensely good with their performances while representing their respective countries.

In the said interview with Star Sports, the Aussie said, “I think probably the way that the two superstar batters, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, are probably head-to-head, seeing how their dominance I suppose, is asserted on the series and how much of an influence that has on who takes home the Border Gavaskar Trophy. One of those two is going to make a lot of runs, if not both of them, and it is going to be pretty exciting to watch the two of the finest players of our generation go head-to-head.”

Although Smith earlier had said that neither he nor Virat sees their relationship as rivalry, the two players compete neck-in-neck in the test cricket format as the Australian so far in 109 tests has scored 9,685 runs at an average of 56.97, with 32 centuries and 41 fifties in 195 innings. In comparison to that, Virat has scored 8,848 runs in 113 Tests and 191 innings at an average of 49.15, with 29 centuries and 30 fifties.

First test of the BGT will be played at Perth between November 22 and 26. The second test is scheduled to be from December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval which will be a day-night match. The third match of the series will be played from December 14 to 18 at The Gabba in Brisbane.

The penultimate game will be on customary Boxing Day, from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The final test is scheduled to happen at Sydney Cricket Ground between January 3 and 7.