Mitchell Starc Compares Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Ashes

Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc anticipates that the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India will be as significant as the Ashes. Starting in November, this is the first five-Test series since 1991-92. India currently leads the World Test Championship standings with Australia in second place. Starc aims to win all five matches and reclaim the trophy.

Australia's Mitchell Starc equates the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India with the prestigious Ashes series for his team.

The series, beginning in November, marks its first expansion to five matches since the 1991-92 season.

Starc stated, 'Being five matches now it's probably right on par with an Ashes series,' when speaking to Wide World of Sports.

Since 2014-15, India has secured the trophy for four consecutive series, including historic wins in Australia during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons.

Starc aims to reverse this trend, hoping for a clean sweep as part of the World Test Championship.

'We always want to win every game at home and we know India are a very strong team,' he noted.

Currently, India tops the Test Championship table, followed by Australia.

'As we're placed at the minute we're the top two teams on the Test ladder... so a very exciting series coming up for the fans and certainly the players,' Starc commented.

'Hopefully when we're sitting there on the 8th of January, we have that trophy back on our shores.'

The 34-year-old, 11 matches short of 100 Tests, plans to continue in red-ball cricket while scaling back white-ball commitments.

'Every time I get to wear the baggy green cap it feels very special. Hopefully, it's five times through the summer with five wins,' he expressed.

Starc will travel to England for a white-ball series and then play domestic cricket before the India series.

'The Tests will always be taking precedence for me,' he emphasized.

With upcoming matches against India and Sri Lanka, Starc, along with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, will lead Australia's pace attack in all three formats.

'There is certainly no end date on (our bowling careers)... but at this stage it's all guns blazing for five Tests against India,' he concluded.

(With inputs from agencies.)