Shubman Gill vs Mitchell Starc

Shubman Gill has been in phenomenal form lately, and it will be a challenging task for the Australian team to contain the Indian opener. Gill has already smashed hundreds across formats this year, and he has a significant advantage over Mitchell Starc in Tests.

Whether it was at the Gabba a couple of years ago or in Ahmedabad last week, Gill demonstrated that he was not intimidated by the left-arm pacer's reputation and has scored 130 runs in 140 balls against him, the most runs scored without being dismissed even once in Tests.

However, ODI cricket is perhaps the format that suits Starc the most, and if he can swing the new ball into Gill, it could create problems for the opener. With both players expected to go all-out, this battle could be very interesting to watch.

David Warner vs Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj's outstanding performances in ODIs over the past year have earned him the top spot among bowlers. Although he has not bowled to David Warner in ODIs yet, Siraj has dismissed the left-hander twice in Tests.

During the Delhi Test of BGT 2023, Siraj caused Warner significant difficulties, striking him on the elbow and helmet. These blows were severe enough that Warner had to be substituted due to a concussion, and he was ruled out of the remaining Test series.

Warner will remember that he scored a century at the same venue the last time he played against India, which could boost his confidence. It will be intriguing to see which player dominates the other in this encounter, as Siraj will be keen to make an impact with the new ball.

Australia Scores Impressive First Innings Total on Day One of Fourth Test in Ahmedabad

Australia has taken a dominant position after a remarkable day of batting against India in the fourth Test, thanks to Usman Khawaja's resilient century.

Khawaja's unbeaten 104 has put Australia on track to achieve their highest total of the series, with the tourists finishing at 4-255 at stumps on day one in Ahmedabad.

Khawaja batted throughout the entire day, enduring the sweltering conditions on the opening day of the Border-Gavaskar series finale, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in the stadium named after him.

The left-hander's patient approach was rewarded with an unbeaten century, which came from 246 balls. All-rounder Cameron Green (49 not out) also contributed significantly with some outstanding, free-flowing batting in the final session.

During the series, no pair from either team had previously batted through an entire session, but Khawaja and acting captain Steve Smith (38) achieved this milestone in the second session. However, Smith and Peter Handscomb (17) departed in quick succession after tea, giving India some hope of running through Australia in front of a big home crowd.

In the first three Tests, the matches finished in less than three days. Still, the fourth Test appears to be on a more traditional wicket after the pitch in Indore was given a "poor" rating by the ICC.

Australia's highest total of the series was 263 in their first innings of the second Test in Delhi, while India smashed 400 en route to a big victory in the series opener in Nagpur.

The final Test of the series began with a bizarre political rally before the match involving the prime ministers of both countries.

Australian squad celebrates the Holi festival with vibrant colors

Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, and Matt Kuhnemann celebrated the Holi festival at the Taj Skyline Hotel by covering themselves from head to toe with colored powder. Labuschagne shared their experience on Twitter, describing it as "awesome".

Smith defends selection amid pitch confusion, calling it "mind-boggling"

Australia's top players have responded to criticism over their selection and performance during their tour of India. The confusion over which pitch the Border Gavaskar Trophy series finale will be played on has added to the pressure. The fill-in captain, Steve Smith, was unaware of which pitch would be used for the final Test, with two pitches being prepared in Ahmedabad. Smith was told there was a 60% chance of playing on one pitch and a 40% chance of playing on another surface. India coach Rahul Dravid inspected one pitch on Tuesday afternoon and claimed he was unaware of the reason behind a second pitch being protected by a rain sheet. Smith preferred playing on challenging pitches, while Dravid suggested the push to avoid draws to maximize World Test Championship points may be one of the reasons behind bowler-friendly surfaces being prepared. Australia expects the surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium to offer lower bounce, similar to conditions they have encountered in Delhi and Indore. The visitors are yet to announce their XI for the final Test.

Matthew Hayden Criticizes Australia for 'Ridiculous' Mistake in India

Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden has criticized the selectors for dropping Travis Head from the first Test match against India. In the third Test, Head played a crucial role in Australia's victory by scoring an unbeaten 49 off 53 balls in the second innings. Hayden stated that Head's heroics in the third Test prove that he should have been included in the team for the first match of the series.

Hayden expressed his disappointment that Australia did not select their best side for the opening game, and questioned how the series might have turned out if Head had been included. He also criticized Head's omission from the first match, which was described by many cricket fans as 'ridiculous'. South Australia teammate Chad Sayyers had previously labelled it a 'f**king disgrace'.

Hayden emphasized Head's impressive form in the Australian summer, where he averaged 87.50 from five Tests for Australia, and was the team's highest combined run-scorer for the matches against West Indies and South Africa. Although Head's average overseas was less than 22, Hayden argued that his form in the lead up to the India series should have secured his place in the squad.

Hayden praised Head's intent to score, his enormous strike rate, and his ability to create momentum and belief in the batting change room. He called Head a "mover and a shaker" and suggested that he should have been one of the first players picked for the Australia team.