Australia v India: Smith, Kohli & Lyon among five talking points

Steve Smith (left), Virat Kohli (centre) and Nathan Lyon (right) all have questions to ponder ahead of the series

One of the biggest series in world cricket is almost upon us again: Australia v India.

The tourists have claimed famous 2-1 victories in their past two trips, and are the only side to win a Test series in Australia since South Africa in 2016.

Rohit Sharma's side face the challenge of a five-Test series this winter though, and on the back on a shock 3-0 home series defeat by New Zealand.

Here are five talking points that could play a key part in deciding who wins the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts at 02:20 GMT on Friday, 22 November.

Australia's search for Warner's replacement

When David Warner retired in January, Australia opted to promote Steve Smith from four to opener.

An average of 28.50 and just one half-century in eight innings meant he failed to set the world alight, but he felt he "could still do a job there".

However, with all-rounder Cameron Green needing back surgery, the Aussies had a gap in their middle order and they've opted to move Smith back to four.

That leaves a hole alongside Usman Khawaja at the top of the order and there have been plenty of questions about who would fill it - including Warner flirting with the idea of a return.

Australia have plumped for Queensland's Nathan McSweeney, who averages 97 in two Sheffield Shield matches this season. Those runs have come at three and four though.

He opened in a warm-up game against India A and made 14 and 25.

Australia's batters haven't had much red-ball exposure either, with Smith and Travis Head playing just one Sheffield Shield game and scoring three and 40 respectively.

Marnus Labuschagne and Khawaja fared slightly better - both average 48 in two and three matches respectively - but there are questions about their preparation.

Will India's batting find form to dominate again?

It might sound obvious when we say that India have scored more runs than Australia in the past two series, but that really was one of the key differences.

In the 2018-19 series, India's average first-innings score of 327 dwarfed Australia's 253. That gap was reduced to 15 runs (288 to 273) in 2020-21.

India's top six in 2018-19 averaged 37.5, compared to Australia's 27, but the hosts squeezed that last time.

India's middle order (five to eight) outscored Australia comfortably in both series (34 to 24.9 in 2018-19 and 33.4 to 26 two years later).

However, there are concerns about India's batting after their series against New Zealand.

They only made two scores of 250 or more in that series, and were bowled out for 46, 156 and 121 across the three matches.

Rishabh Pant, who has been crucial in their previous wins over Australia, is in form and averaged 43.50 in that series, but captain Rohit Sharma averaged just 15.16 and Virat Kohli 15.5.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (31.66), Shubman Gill (36) and Sarfaraz Khan (28.5) also struggled, as only Pant made more than one half-century in the series.

Kohli and Rohit only average 22.72 and 29.4 in Tests in 2024 and it is hard to see India winning if those numbers don't rise.

Rohit will miss the first Test for the birth of his second child so India will have to find a new partner for Jaiswal at the top of the order. Bowler Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in Rohit's absence.

Can India's pacers match Australia again?

Another of the key components in India's wins has been their pace attack.

They've built a battery of quicks led by the superb Bumrah. That has made them a formidable side in all conditions, not just at home, where the defeat by New Zealand was their first in 12 years.

Bumrah was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2018-19 series, claiming 21 at an average of 17.

He was ably supported by Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma, as they outperformed the Australia quicks.

In that series India's fast bowlers averaged 23 and conceded 2.64 runs an over, compared to 31.7 and 2.73 by Australia.

That did flip in 2020-21 as Bumrah only claimed 11 wickets and Shami was unavailable. India's pacers averaged 30.9 to Australia's 26.2.

Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep struggled in the recent New Zealand series too, picking up seven wickets, compared to 20 for the Kiwi seamers.

Which of the spinners will come out on top?

Nathan Lyon has claimed 530 Test wickets, six fewer than Ravichandran Ashwin

This series will have the seventh and eighth-most successful bowlers in Test history, with India's Ravichandran Ashwin facing Australia's Nathan Lyon.

How the respective batting line-ups handle that pair, and India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, may go a long way to deciding the series.

Lyon took 21 wickets in the 2018-19 series, but that dropped to nine two years later as India combatted the off-spinner.

Ashwin and Jadeja haven't always been part of India's team when they've toured Australia, but when selected they've performed.

India's spinners averaged 28.6, at an economy rate of 2.27, compared to 36.2 and 2.82 by Australia's in 2018-19.

The difference in the average was even more stark two years later at 26.8 to 59.

Lyon may play a bigger role though, with India losing 37 wickets to spin against New Zealand.

Could the schedule help Australia? And race for World Test Championship final

Cricket Australia have rejigged schedules and the order of the grounds that Tests are played at.

The Optus in Perth, where Australia have won all four Tests since it opened in 2018, will host the first game of the series.

Adelaide and Brisbane follow, where Australia have won nine of 10 Tests and eight from 10 in the past decade. One defeat at each venue has come against India though.

Melbourne is the Boxing Day Test as is tradition, before Sydney concludes the series. India have won twice at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the past 10 years, with Australia winning six of their Tests there, while the Sydney Cricket Ground has had six draws in that time.

Australia may have frontloaded the series with grounds that suit them and that could help them as they look to seal a place in the World Test Championship final.

The current holders need five wins across this series and a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in January and February to secure their place. Other results may mean that four, or even three, wins will be enough.

India's chances of reaching a third successive final were dented by the heavy defeat by New Zealand and they travel to Australia needing four wins from the five Tests to guarantee a place in June's final at Lord's.

Pick your series winner

How to follow Australia v India on the BBC

There will be ball-by-ball commentary on all matches across BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website and app (UK users only).

The commentary will be provided by ABC Grandstand in Australia.

Members of the commentary team include TMS regulars Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Harsha Bhogle, plus Australia's leading Test pace wicket-taker Glenn McGrath, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, ex-Australia coach Darren Lehmann and former Australia batter Phil Jaques.

There will also be video highlights of all the key moments available on the BBC Sport website and app, shortly after they have happened and at the end of play.

The website and app will also have daily reports, analysis and reaction.

There will also be regular coverage on the BBC Cricket Instagram and WhatsApp accounts.

The series is available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports.