Mitchell Starc compares Border-Gavaksar Trophy to Ashes, explains why rivalry with India is bigger than ever

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Australia star Mitchell Starc has drawn Ashes comparison while talking about the Border-Gavaskar Series against India. The left-arm pacer said that Border-Gavaskar Trophy has grown in stature with every passing series, and is as important as the Ashes for Australia.

The comments from Mitchell Starc came as the two teams gear up for the mouth-watering five-Test series against Australia starting November 22 in Perth. India would be travelling to Australia with an objective to register their third-consecutive Test series down under.

In 2019, India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia. An Ajinkya Rahane-led Team India won the series again on the next tour of Australia in 2020-21, despite losing the first Test by eight wickets after 36 all-out in the second innings. Australia lost the last edition of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India in 2023. India have now not lost a Test series against Australia in the last 10 years.

“For Australian cricket, you've got the Ashes and then you've got the Border Gavaskar Trophy in there. I mean there's a long history in the Ashes but that Border Gavaskar rivalry, if you like, has just grown from strength to strength over each series and now we see it as a five test match series which is fantastic for not only the rivalry but for the test series as well," Mitchell Starc said while speaking exclusively to Star Sports.

Further, Starc reckoned that rivalry became even bigger after India's second consecutive Test series win in Australia. Notably, India prevailed last time in Australia despite Kohli leaving after the first Test due to personal reasons, and India losing key players including Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul, Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja.

"Whether it's the calibre of player, the calibre of matches that we see as fans and as cricketers just continues to grow strength on strength each series and now India obviously winning a number of series in a row, it's created even a bigger rivalry between the two countries. I mean both teams are well known to one another, we play each other very often across the formats so I'm sure it'll be another exciting series but one I think that both experienced sides will showcase some fantastic cricket," he said.

India and Australia will be playing a 5-match Test series for the first time since 1992. The Border-Border Gavaskar Trophy has lately consisted of four Tests. The Ashes between Australia and England is also a five-match Test series.