Opening Act: Under pressure India meet edgy Australia

Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep are likely to be Bumrah’s partners

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The nostalgia of Brisbane 2021 refuses to fade but India, still reeling from a bitter home debacle, will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting here on Friday.

In 2018-19 and 2020-21, India proved that lightning can strike twice with back to back series wins but the manner in which New Zealand came, saw and decimated them on home turf recently has certainly hit the psyche of an otherwise world-class unit.

The undeniable truth is that some of the stars driving this unit are in the twilight of their hallowed careers.

How the five-match rubber against Pat Cummins and his men unfolds could well decide their future.