India and Australia will meet in a four-match test series, the first of which will take place in Nagpur from February 9-13. Both Australia and India are desperate to win the series and will therefore try to win the first test and take an early lead. But it won’t be an easy task for either team. Both India and Australia have put together a strong team that is good for an interesting game of cricket.
It is important for any team that wants to win the game to tick several boxes. So here’s a stats-based prediction on which team has the advantage before the first test and why.
India vs Australia 1st Test 2023 match preview
India and Australia will face each other in the first match of the 2022-23 Border Gavaskar Trophy to be played in Nagpur from February 9-13. Being the start of the series, the game is of great importance to both teams as they look for an early lead. There has been a huge build-up around this four-match Test series as a place in the World Test Championship final is at stake, from India’s perspective. Meanwhile, Australia is trying to end the drought in the series.
Both India and Australia are affected by injuries. While the Kangaroos will miss the services of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Cameron Green (mainly bowling), India will miss their spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, first-choice goalkeeper Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer. However, India and Australia have selected a strong team from the available pool of players and are expected to field an equally strong playing XI for the first Test.
Both teams boast heavy-hitting lineups. While Australia has Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, David Warner, Travis Head, and Usman Khawaja; India has Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill. The two teams’ bowling lineups also include big stars such as Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, R Ashwin, and R Jadeja.
Match Details
- Date: 09-13 February 2023
- Time: 9:30 AM IST
- Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
- Live Scores: SportsTiger App
Probable XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli; KL Rahul, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne; Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green/Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
Pitch Report
There has been a lot of talk about how the Nagpur field will play. While some expect it to be a range change, as in 2017; some believe a typical subcontinent wicket will be selected. In both cases, however, the spinners are expected to play a key role if there is sufficient turnout. Meanwhile, batsmen can score runs in the first three days.
Weather forecast
The weather forecast for the VCA Stadium suggests that there is no chance of rain and that the match between India and Australia will last five days with no interruptions due to nature. The temperature on the day of the race is expected to fluctuate around 31°C with a humidity of 23% and a wind speed of 8 km/h. The weather in Nagpur looks perfect for the first test match between IND and AUS.
TOSS Forecast
Toss is crucial to win any Test match and the Nagpur Test will be no exception. As it becomes increasingly difficult to bat on the Indian pitches, the captains who win the toss will bat first. But who is expected to win the draw in the first test? Australia captain Pat Cummins has had considerable luck in his favor, winning the toss on the last three occasions. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has won two shots out of three. So Australia is expected to win the coin toss.
Chance To Win
It will be an exciting cricket match in Nagpur. Both India and Australia will try their best to win the Nagpur test and go 1-0 up in the four-match series. India will do without Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shreyas Iyer. Meanwhile, Australia will miss the services of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Cameron Green (bowling).
However, both teams have players who are easily up to the challenge. But India has had a slight advantage over Australia in recent tests. As the team will play on home soil under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, they are expected to win the first test in Nagpur.
Conclusion
It is expected to be an exciting game when the two teams meet for five days, starting on February 9. Although Australia is in form, India has not lost a home game to the Kangaroos since 2004. Also, India’s winning record is almost intact in Nagpur. The hosts are thus expected to win the first test.
