Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The Border–Gavaskar Trophy: a premier Test cricket rivalry between India and Australia.

The Border–Gavaskar Trophy (colloquially known as BGT) is a Test cricket series played between India and Australia. The series is named after distinguished former captains, Allan Border of Australia and Sunil Gavaskar of India. It typically takes place twice every four years; once in Australia and once in India. The series usually consists of four or five Test matches between the two teams, with each match scheduled for up to five days. The team that ends up as the winner of the Test series is awarded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, if the series is drawn, the team that is currently holding the trophy ends up retaining it.

Quick Facts

Country: IND; AUS
Administrator: Board of Control for Cricket in India; Cricket Australia
First: 1996–97; India
Last: 2024–25; Australia
Participants: 2
Most successful: IND (10 series wins & 1 retention)
Most runs: IND Sachin Tendulkar (3,262)
Qualification: ICC World Test Championship

Lore & Background

Given the competitive nature of the India–Australia rivalry and the high standing of both teams, the Border–Gavaskar Trophy is considered to be one of the two most-valued bilateral trophies in Test cricket. Since Border-Gavaskar Trophy's inception in 1996, the trophy has changed hands a number of times, with India having been the relatively more successful side. Out of the 17 Test series played so far, India has been victorious in 10, while Australia has won 6, with the remaining one series drawn. As of January 2025, Australia hold the trophy after they defeated India 3–1 in the 2024–25 series. In the history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India's Sachin Tendulkar has been the most successful batsman, scoring 3262 runs from 65 innings. Meanwhile, Australia's Nathan Lyon has been the most successful bowler, taking 125 wickets from 54 innings.

Reader's Guide

The Border–Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) is one of the premier bilateral trophies in Test cricket. Both India and Australia have a reputation of being difficult to beat at home. This is borne out by India winning 8 of the 9 BGT series held in India, and Australia winning (or drawing) 6 of the 8 BGT series held in Australia. The away series wins achieved by Australia (2004–05) and India (2018–19 and 2020–2021) have earned places in cricket folklore. Both teams have achieved similar number of Test match wins, and the trophy has also changed hands frequently. The competitiveness of the series is also reflected in that in both 2000–01 and 2007–08, it was India who ended Australia's streaks of 16 consecutive international Test wins. The 2000–01 series was labelled as the 'final frontier' for Australia by their captain Steve Waugh due to the difficulty of winning in India, and was closely fought by both sides.

Did You Know?

The first ever cricket encounter between India and Australia was Australia's 1935–36 tour of India to play a series of four unofficial Tests.
India's 1947–48 tour of Australia was its first after independence and included the first Test match and series between the two teams.
The 1996–97 one-off Test was the first to be played under the Border–Gavaskar Trophy.
In the 2000–01 series, Harbhajan Singh took a hat-trick, the first Test hat-trick by an Indian bowler in 69 years of Indian cricketing history.