Australia lay out preparation plan for five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, Jan–Mar 2027
Australia have set out their preparation strategy for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, scheduled to be played between January and March 2027, and will not stage warm-up matches ahead of the tour, head coach Andrew McDonald said.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been contested since 1996-97 and is one of the sport’s established Test series; India have largely dominated it historically while Australia won the most recent edition at home. The upcoming five-Test tour also carries WTC significance, with the result able to affect chances of qualifying for the final of the ongoing World Test Championship 2025-27, and Australia, currently the No. 1-ranked Test side, have already begun planning.
Australia will travel to India in January for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025-27; it will be the first time since 1979 that Australia play a five-match Test series on Indian soil. The touring party will have only 12 days between the end of a three-match home Test series against New Zealand and the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a scheduling constraint the team cited in deciding against warm-up fixtures.
On the decision not to stage a practice game, McDonald said: “We feel as though we’ve got enough time to immerse ourselves in those conditions. We won’t be taking on a practice game. It’ll just be more around the location.” Under McDonald’s tenure, Australia did not play a warm-up match in their last two Test series in the subcontinent, including during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022-23 in India.
McDonald outlined options for individual preparation, saying: “We have gone to the UAE previously and we have also gone into India last time into Bangalore, so we’re just working through what that would look like in terms of how we then manage the individuals.” He also indicated the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will differ from the group selected for the home series against New Zealand and said players would be trained to suit specific Indian conditions and pitches.
Ahead of the India tour, Australia are scheduled to play Test series against Bangladesh (2 tests), South Africa (3 tests) and New Zealand (4 tests). Australia entered the upcoming series on the back of winning the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a margin of 3-1.
McDonald added: “Ultimately, if you can have a dedicated venue that you’re able to use and replicate as close to the conditions as possible. You can match those locations – you want a connection in terms of conditions and climate. We believe we’ll get that right in terms of where we go; it just hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025-27 is scheduled to begin on January 21 in Nagpur.