India versus Australia is now bigger than the historic Ashes

This is the mother of all battles in cricket, India vs Australia. Forget the Ashes, forget the old India versus Pakistan rivalries, what brings out the best between two teams are the ones which will be competing in a five-Test series in Perth from November 22. The hype is massive, there is a pitched battle out there, already, in the media and social media. Add to it a leading media house Down Under bringing out a newspaper supplement as well, with Virat Kohli as the main focus, it could not have become bigger. Wait, there is more, some of the headlines were there in Hindi and even Punjabi in this newspaper special supplement, to cater to the massive Indian diaspora which lives there. And this, just on the BGT Series.

What a change, this, from the times when India was treated as a pushover. For those obsessed with stats and more details in numbers, India versus Australia has produced so much. Now it is about grabbing eyeballs in every sense. Agreed, in the forthcoming five-Test series starting in Perth, India are the underdogs. So many injuries, plus Rohit Sharma not available for the first Test due to paternity leave, the momentum has shifted. Or so, we are made to believe. But there is a catch here, the Aussie media is focussed on how Virat Kohli could explode into form, even though he has not done well recently. The yardstick for such a thing is not stats, it is emotion and how hard King Kohli has been preparing. Mind you, the Aussies in Australia are ready to overlook Kohli missing three Tests in the last tour. After all, he has featured in many battled involving the two nations, across all formats – T20, ODIs, and Test cricket.

Test cricket is pure, pristine and potent. It is the oldest form and also the most enchanting one not only for old timers but even this generation which consumes cricket on apps, TV, digital tablets and phones. A far cry from the time when old timers had to rely on radio commentary from before the break of dawn to catch up on scores. For sheer number of experts on both sides who commentate, pen columns and engage in discussions on cricket between India and Australia, the growth is upward. But there is a difference. See how Ricky Ponting opened his mouth on a few Indians and got into trouble. Actually, Ponting was not caustic, for, he has seen many battles himself. During his peak, he would needle the Indians, sledge and lead on the field with aggro. Now, Ponting spends more time in India, thanks to the IPL. He makes his money from India in the IPL, be it Delhi Capitals in the past and Punjab Kings now.

At the same time, there are many other Aussies who have made India their home, for cricket and even coming and living here often. Old stars like Steve Waugh, Brett Lee  and a few more come to India more often than their predecessors. Why? India is a great destination for them for many reasons. They no longer complain about India as a dirty country or one which is backwards. The upward trend is noticeable, in all walks of life. That is why the movement is crossway, more Indians also spend more time in Australia, be it cricketers or even for education. The cultures are different but Indian curry is loved in Sydney and Melbourne as well.

In cricket, too, there will be plenty of spice in the Test series. Pessimists in India may think the visitors will get wiped out in this forthcoming series, but not the Aussies. There is anticipation of good cricket from Kohli, stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah plus the fast bowling attack as well which will support him. It does not matter if India do not make it to the ICC Test Championship final, eventually. What will occupy prime space in the next two months is Test cricket. And even if India lose or do badly, the BGT Series will rank higher than the Ashes at one point of time. Sounds weird? See how it pans out in the coming weeks. Add to it the IPL auction in Saudi Arabia, India and Australia will make mention together in big sporting headlines just in cricket. Times have changed.