Rohit Sharma will lead India’s bid to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for a fourth successive time when they tour Down Under for the much-anticipated five-Test match series against Australia, beginning on November 22 at Perth Stadium, a venue where India lost four of their five Tests played so far, including the sound beating on their only previous visit in 2018.

Having paid the price for skipping Perth as a Test venue during India’s last tour of Australia in 2020-21, Cricket Australia on Tuesday announced Perth to host the opening Test while unveiling their international calendar for next summer with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the home season’s showpiece event.

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The second Test, a day-night pink-ball affair, will be held from December 6-10 at the Adelaide Oval. It will be India’s fifth day-night Test and the second against Australia since December 2020 where they registered their lowest Test total (36 all out) in an eight-wicket defeat.

Meanwhile, the Gabba, once the ‘traditional’ opening venue of the Test summer, will host the third Test from December 14, before the iconic Boxing Day and New Year’s slots for Melbourne (Dec 26-30) and Sydney (Jan 3-7, 2025).

Considering Perth being India’s least favoured destination Down Under, it would certainly give the home side the mental advantage at least in the build-up to the series this summer.

Australia have not beaten India in a home series since 2014-15, losing successively at home in 2018-19 while Steve Smith and David Warner were serving bans, and again in 2020-21 when Ajinkya Rahane led a relatively young side to a memorable win.

Australia have not won a Test series in India since 2004.

The men’s series coincides with a three-match ODI series between the women’s teams of the respective countries, to be played in Brisbane and Perth between December 5-11.

Speaking on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said: “The BCCI remains steadfast in its dedication to preserving the rich heritage of Test Cricket, a format we hold in the highest esteem.”

“Our ongoing collaboration with Cricket Australia in extending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to five Tests underscores our collective commitment to nurturing and elevating Test cricket’s significance,” Shah added.

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said that the relevance of the Border-Gavaskar series can be gauged by the fact that it will be the first time since 1991-92 that five Tests will be played in the series, like the Ashes.

“Fittingly, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been put on the same footing as the (men’s) Ashes with a five-Test Series for the first time since 1991-92 and we’re confident the schedule will maximise viewership and attendances and there will be a tremendous atmosphere in stadiums across the country,” Hockley said.

CA Chair Mike Baird added, “The eyes of the cricket world will be on Australia and I’m confident Pat Cummins’ World Champion team can overcome the skill and depth of the Indian team who played so brilliantly to win the last two series here and reclaim the trophy.”

India’s last five-match Test series against the Kangaroos was played during the Down Under tour of 1991-92, and despite the visitors suffered a humiliating 0-4 loss, the series will be remembered for Ravi Shastri’s double century in Sydney and young Sachin Tendulkar’s century in Perth.