BGT: Shastri picks Cummins, Lyon to shine with ball for Aussies; warns India of Smith's challenge

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri expects Australia skipper Pat Cummins and seasoned off-spinner Nathan Lyon to deliver with the ball for the Aussies in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. On the other end of the spectrum, Shastri issued a warning to India to stay relentless against Steven Smith, who will be "up for the challenge." Cummins will be keen to guide Australia to its first BGT title since the 2014/15 series. India has made their bid to retain the title with a couple of new faces with a bunch of inexperienced players. The inexperienced lineup could either be a reckoning or the reason for their downfall against Australia, who remained true to their mainstays.

While pondering on Australia's lethal pace attack, which makes the ball obey their will, Shastri expects Cummins to have his say ahead of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The Australian skipper, who featured in all eight Tests of the previous two BGT series at home, averaged 23.14 for his 35 wickets. However, he was quick to remind about Lyon, who relishes in Australia by adapting to the demands of the surface. Perth, which will play host to both sides for the series opener, Lyon has been a force to be reckoned with.

On a strip where bounce holds the key to success, Lyon has 27 scalps to his name, averaging 18.00 with two five-wicket hauls, better than any of his fast-bowling colleagues. The 37-year-old has been a prime wicket-taker and has 60 scalps in 15 games against India at home.

"Pat Cummins will be at you. He's relentless. I mean, don't take your eye off Nathan Lyon because he has a fantastic record against India, both at home and away. So he'll be someone to watch but Pat Cummins because if Australia have to damage early doors and then later on, it will be Cummins," Shastri said in ICC Review.

Australia's expertise isn't just limited to their capabilities with the red-ball. The likes of Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey and Smith form a formidable batting unit. Out of the talented pool of batters, Smith's form has been a cause of concern for the hosts. After the 35-year-old hammered a century against England at Lord's in July 2023, the seasoned batter has averaged 33.64 in 10 games.

"Steve Smith, because of his experience, because of his past record, and he's at that stage of his career where he needs a challenge. He needs a challenge, and I think he'll be up for it," Shastri noted. "It could be his final series against India, so that's another way to look at it. And just seeing his form in that couple of games against Pakistan makes me think in that fashion. And it's again, with these players, the Kohlis, the Smiths, it's how you start," he added.

Smith's lean run has started to become a thing of the past. In Australia's recent ODI series against Pakistan, Smith had a couple of decent starts, registering 44 and 35. Shastri feels if Smith gets off to a flyer, he will keep badgering India. To prevent such an outcome, India would need to go after him with a relentless approach right off the block.

"In the first three innings of the series, if he gets away with 100, then they'll keep badgering you. I think India will have to come hard, they'll have to be tight, and they'll have to keep the pressure on. They have to be relentless with Smith early," he added.

The first Test between India and Australia will kickstart from Friday at Perth's Optus Stadium. Both sides, placed at the top two spots of the ICC World Test Championship points tally will be aiming to make their chances for the final stronger. While India seeks to bounce back after a rare, but humiliating home setback against New Zealand, Australia would be aiming to avoid a hat-trick of series losses to India at home.

After the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18. The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage. The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.

India's squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.

Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc. (ANI)