Although not the best of years for the Indian cricket team by any means but both the cricketers and fans would be a bit relieved to see India finishing the year with a victory.
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Had the most recently concluded second Bangladesh-India Test match in Mirpur resulted in the first-ever Test loss for the visitors against this opposition, it would’ve summed up a substandard 2022 aptly for them.
Thankfully (again for both cricketers and fans), it hasn’t happened as Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin’s match-winning 71-run partnership for the eighth wicket powered them to a 3-wicket victory at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Monday. More importantly, saving them from an embarrassing defeat.
With India continuing to be very much alive in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship, their next Test assignment will be against Australia at home. Slated to be played in February-March next year, a four-match series will be the final World Championship assignment for both these teams.
BGT full form in Cricket
For those who don’t know, India and Australia’s Test series against each other is played for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Named in honour of two legendary cricketers namely Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar, BGT is an unofficial fan-made acronym for Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The trophy had made its way into the coveted cricketing trophies for the first time in 1996 with a one-off India-Australia Test played in India. All in all, India have hosted the Border-Gavaskar trophy eight times as compared to Australia hosting it on seven occasions. While India have hosted it on two consecutive occasions twice, Australia have done it only once.
The intensely-fought nature of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has seen only a lone drawn series in all these years. Out of the 15 Test series played, India have won nine in comparison to five Australian victories. Having won the BGT three times (including twice overseas) in a row now, India would be keen to enhance their winning spree especially whilst playing at home.
