New Delhi, India

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden refused to pick a favourite between India and Australia for the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024/25 edition, to be held later this year in Australia. Since the 2016/17 edition, India have not lost the BGT and Rohit Sharma-led side will be eager to make it three successive Test series win on Australian soil when they tour Down Under in the upcoming Aussie summer. Hayden, the former left-handed batter, didn't pick a favourite and stated that had Cheteshwar Pujara been a part of the Indian batting line-up, he would've given the edge to India.

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On the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards, held in Mumbai on Wednesday (Aug 21), Hayden told PTI, ""You look at the lineups, and it's hard to really tell who has the edge. I sense that it's going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference. Guys that are sure bets have retired, like (Cheteshwar) Pujara was a sure bet in Australian conditions."

He further opined, "Was he exciting? No. Was he effective? Heck, yes. When you look back over the years, guys like Raul Dravid, VVS Laxman... they were really sure bets in our market. The best need to stand up in this series, runs are going to be at a premium."

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Notably, Pujara was the difference between both sides when Virat Kohli-led India created history by becoming the first-ever Asian side to win a Test series in Australia in 2018/19. The right-hander, who last played for India during the WTC 2023 final, ended as the Player-of-the-Series with 521 runs in four Tests at 74.42, including three centuries and one fifty.

In the 2020/21 BGT in Australia, Pujara once again played a valuable hand by scoring 271 runs at an average of 33.87 with three half-centuries. He was also among runs in the home Tests in the 2016/17 edition, with a best of 202.

Pujara, a veteran of 103 Tests, has 7,195 runs in the purest format, at an average of 43.60. He, however, hasn't been in India's scheme of things in Tests since mid-2023 and also not been named for the upcoming Duleep Trophy tournament.