Hayden's Insight on India's Bowling Spurs Excitement for Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Former cricketer Matthew Hayden highlights India's bowling strength, praising Prasidh Krishna while spotlighting Akash Deep as a potential key player. India and Australia set for a thrilling Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting at Perth's Optus Stadium and featuring high-stakes matches in Melbourne and Sydney. Teams ready to dazzle fans worldwide.

As the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy approaches, former Australian cricket icon Matthew Hayden has weighed in on India's bowling prospects during a Channel 7 media event. Hayden commended Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna for his commendable performance in a recent unofficial Test match against Australia A, but pointed to Akash Deep as a strong contender to replace the seasoned Mohammed Shami in the Indian squad.

"Prasidh Krishna did exceptionally well in the unofficial Test match, but in my opinion, Akash Deep stands out as the closest to filling Shami's shoes," Hayden commented. He emphasized Akash Deep's potential effectiveness in cities like Perth and Adelaide, where conditions typically favor pace bowlers.

With the looming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Hayden's insights add excitement as both teams finalize their lineups for this high-stakes series. The opening Test between India and Australia kicks off Friday at Perth's Optus Stadium. Both teams, holding top positions in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table, aim to enhance their chances for the WTC final. India seeks resurgence after an unexpected home loss to New Zealand, while Australia looks to end a series-losing streak against India on home soil.

Following the series opener in Perth on November 22, the second Test, featuring a day-night format, unfolds under the lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans eagerly await the third Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, December 14 to 18. The traditional Boxing Day Test, from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, will serve as the series' penultimate encounter. The fifth and final Test at Sydney Cricket Ground, January 3 to 7, promises to be a thrilling climax to a highly anticipated series.

India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Series includes Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed 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, and Mohammed Siraj. Australia's squad, announced for the first Test, features 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, and Mitchell Starc. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)