Australian summer is really reliant on Steve Smith and Virat Kohli. Matthew Hawley

India vs Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy will pit two of the most sought-after hitters from the “fabulous four” list—Virat Kohli and Steve Smith—against one other in the purest form of cricket. In November, India will travel Australian, and it will be Kohli’s first time back in the whites after nearly a decade. However, Smith is struggling at bat, as evidenced by the 51 runs he has scored in his last four innings.

Matthew Hayden, a former Australian opener, has offered his thoughts on the enduring pair’s chances of making runs and winning the series ahead of it. He also mentioned that since runs won’t be a problem, the top hitters’ behaviour will carry over for the whole of the series. For those who are unaware, India will play its first Test in Perth on November 22 to kick off the tour.

India will play Australia in a five-match Test series for the first time since 1991–1992.

Since cricket is a momentum-based sport, I have no doubt that those two players, who are nearing the end of their careers, will be eager to control the landscape throughout the summer. It is who they are. They do it in very different ways and styles, but they are unquestionably essential to the Australian summer, according to Hayden, who was cited by Hindustan Times.

It’s difficult to determine who has the upper hand when looking at the lineups. It seems to me that runs will be what make the biggest difference. Certain bets have retired, such as Pujara, who was a sure bet given the Australian climate, the speaker continued.

Matthew Hayden has the greatest need to rise in this series.

In relation to Pujara, the seasoned player has been absent from the Test team for some time. The last time the right-handed hitter played for India in whites was in the June 2023 WTC final at the Oval against Australia. The 36-year-old’s recovery has been impeded by the rise of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, as India continues to struggle to find a cushion to rely on in Test matches. The Gujarat batter was a sure thing for India down under, Hayden regretted.

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Was Pujara an exciting person? No. Was he successful? Yes, indeed. Over time, players such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have shown to be extremely reliable investments in our market. In this series, the greatest players will need to hold their ground because runs will be few, according to Hayden.