The three-match Test series between India and New Zealand concluded today, ending in a historic 3-0 whitewash against India. Following this unpredictable defeat on home soil, the Indian team will go on a tour to Australia, where they are set to face a five-match Test series. Besides this defeat against New Zealand, India’s path to securing a spot in the WTC Final has become significantly more complicated. Reacting to the loss, former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh took to social media to congratulate New Zealand and offer advice to Team India. His message has since gone viral, stirring discussion in the cricket community.
After New Zealand clinched the Test series 3-0, Yuvraj shared his reflections on Twitter, reminding fans of India’s recent T20 World Cup victory and urging the team to learn from their mistakes. “Cricket truly is a humbling game, isn’t it?” he tweeted. “Just months ago, we celebrated our T20 World Cup win, and now we face a historic defeat. This is the beauty of the game! We have big challenges ahead with the Australia series, and it’s essential to learn from our mistakes and move forward. Congratulations to New Zealand on their phenomenal performance and historic win.”
Cricket truly is a humbling sport, isn’t it? Just months after our T20 World Cup win, we face a historic whitewash. That’s the beauty of this game! Bigger tests lie ahead with the Australia series & the way forward is to introspect, learn and look up!
Congratulations to the…
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) November 3, 2024
India’s Upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series in Australia
Following the loss, India will head to Australia to contest the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The five-Test series will begin on November 22 and conclude on January 7, 2025. The series schedule is as follows:
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 22 – Nov 26, 2024 | 1st Test | Perth Stadium, Perth |
| Dec 6 – Dec 10, 2024 | 2nd Test (Day-Night) | Adelaide Oval |
| Dec 14 – Dec 18, 2024 | 3rd Test | The Gabba, Brisbane |
| Dec 26 – Dec 30, 2024 | 4th Test | MCG, Melbourne |
| Jan 3 – Jan 7, 2025 | 5th Test | SCG, Sydney |
India’s Squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
India’s squad for the upcoming series includes several notable players: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.
This tour will be critical for India’s hopes in the World Test Championship (WTC), as a series victory against Australia is essential for qualification in the WTC final. The team will be under significant pressure to bounce back, carrying the lessons from their recent series loss against New Zealand into the Australian Tests.