'3-1 to Australia‘ - Ricky Ponting predicts 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy scoreline

Ricky Ponting has predicted a 3-1 scoreline in favour of Australia for upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting later this year. The Aussies will be hosting the series which comprises five Test matches, to be played in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

India are currently at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, while Australia closely follow at No. 2. The WTC final is set to be played  in 2025 and the team which emerges victorious in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy could well book their tickets to the title clash.

India will be buoyant about their chances Down Under as their last two trips their saw them returning with memorable and historic series wins. The Asian giants have kept a stranglehold on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since they won it back at home in 2017. However, Ponting believes that Australia will start the upcoming series as slight favourites. 

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"It's going to be a competitive series and as I said I think Australia's got a bit of a point to prove against India in Australia on the back of what's happened the last the last two series here," Ponting said on the ICC Review.

"We are back to five Tests as well, which is the other really important thing about this series. It’s only been four Tests the last couple of times. Five tests, I think everyone's really excited by that and I don't know if there'd be too many drawn games. I'm obviously going to tip Australia to win and I'm never going to tip against Australia. There will be a draw somewhere and there will be some bad weather somewhere, so I'm going to say 3-1 to Australia," he added.

I think Australia will pretty much pick itself: Ricky Ponting

Ponting opined that Australia will not have too many surprises to offer as far as their squad for the high-octane series is concerned. However, he said that if Steve Smith feels that the opening role isn't for him, Australia could make a change and allow him to bat down the order.

Smith has opened the batting for the Aussies after David Warner's retirement from Test cricket earlier this year. However, he has opened the batting in four matches this year and is averaging a meagre 28.50.

"I think Australia will pretty much pick itself. Probably the only one question there might be with Australia again, is if (Steve) Smith's the right man to be opening the batting. That would be the only query that I can see there. But that was all about obviously bringing Cameron Green back into the side," Ponting noted.

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"So I'll rephrase it, not whether Smith's the right man to open the batting but whether he thinks it's the right spot for him. Because I think if he doesn't think it's the right spot then they'll make a change and get someone else back up there," the 49-year-old added.