BGT 2024-25: Top 3 players to watch out for in Perth Test

It appears that the moment that the cricket community has been looking forward to has come sooner than expected. With the first Test match against Australia scheduled to start at Perth Stadium, India will finally start their journey down under. This series has a lot of underlying ideas that make it a contest worth watching. In this series, bragging rights are more than just an honor that both sides would like to claim.

In the current World Test Championship cycle, both teams are ranked one minute apart and one below the other. But neither team would want to make any mistakes, especially India, especially in the opening game of the series. A few players from each team are worth watching since their performances are crucial to their team’s overall viability.

Here are the three players to watch out for in Perth Test: 

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has been the center of attention ever since he arrived in Perth because of his captivating aura. Even though he’s not in the best of form, Kohli has long been the talk of the town. With regard to the first Test, this is comparable. Kohli has been going through a difficult period for a while now.

Despite playing 14 innings, Kohli has only managed to score a few half-centuries. The former captain has often had a difficult time. Nonetheless, a player of his caliber can never be ruled out. One may reasonably anticipate that he would be fully focused on the task at hand and perform at his most passionate level on the field, especially in Australia, since Australia is one of his favorite opponents.

2. Steve Smith

For a considerable amount of time, Steve Smith has been among the finest in the format. It hasn’t quite gone as planned for him, though, since he moved to the top of the order in Test matches. Smith hasn’t been able to take advantage of his chances at the top, with the exception of the 91* in Brisbane. Smith will slip to his preferred No. 4 place, where he has amassed a plethora of runs in the past, as Nathan McSweeney enters the first Test as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner.

He has achieved a great deal of success over the years thanks to his distinctively unorthodox approach to his work with the willow. Smith will need to have perseverance to tackle the Indian bowling lineup’s varied onslaught. Smith, who will act as the middle-order’s glue, will be essential to the hosts’ ability to manage pressure from one end. Unquestionably, Smith will have a huge impact for the hosts both in the midfield and on the field in the slip cordon.

3. Jasprit Bumrah

There is something special about the Perth Test. The entire team, not just the bowling lineup, will be led by Jasprit Bumrah. As a result of Rohit Sharma tending to his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, Bumrah was chosen to serve as the temporary captain. It’s noteworthy that Bumrah has only ever led India as captain once. As such, little is known about the strategies he will use.

Setting the tone with the ball will be a key responsibility for Bumrah. His obligations, nevertheless, don’t stop there. He will need to be aggressive on the field in terms of strategy execution and game planning in addition to sprinting in the intense heat. He will also be held to higher standards because of the way he has led the bowling attack for so many years and handled the spinners’ workload.