BCCI confirms BGT 2023 will be last edition with 4-test format; next edition will have 5 tests

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Friday that the upcoming Australia tour of India is going to be the last of the traditional four-Test series as part of the Border-Gavaskar series.

BCCI announce new format of Border Gavaskar Trophy

While the All-India Senior Selection Committee of the BCCI on later Friday night announced the 17-member squad for the impending Border-Gavaskar series at home against Australia. The series is set to begin from February 9 onwards in Nagpur and will be both the team’s final contest in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.

“This will also be the last edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which will be a 4-match Test series feature,” read the statement from BCCI.

India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.

Moreover, India have called up Ishan Kishan as Rishabh Pant’s replacement. However, KS Bharat likely to be first-choice wicketkeeper while Suryakumar Yadav has been added to the squad as well. Jasprit Bumrah will remain absent leaving Jaydev Unadkat with yet another opportunity. Meanwhile, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion in the team is “subject to fitness”.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 series will be played across four different venues in India. The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur will host the first Test from February 9 to 13. While the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi will host the second Test from February 17 to 21.

Moreover, the third Test will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala from March 1 to 5 and the fourth Test will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad from March 9 to 13.

The history of Border-Gavaskar series

Notably, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been a 4-Test contest since 2003/04 when India toured Australia. Moreover, the 2010/11 contest being the only anomaly as it was a 2-Test contest. The last time five Tests were played in a series was back in the 1991/92 season.

According to the International Cricket Council’s Men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-27, Australia and India will be playing two five-match series during the period for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship. First, Australia will host India in the 2023-25 cycle and then India will host Australia in the 2025-27 cycle.

Also read: How can upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy decide the Finalists of WTC 23?

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