I have a theory about the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the theory is the theory that I have been testing, for the last six series, against the scorecards, and the scorecards have, for the last six series, confirmed the theory, and the theory is this: the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the best series in cricket because it is the series that is decided in the second innings, and the second innings is the innings that is hardest to play, and the second innings is the innings that India, in this series, have learned to play better than Australia.
The Numbers Behind The Theory
India have played ten Border-Gavaskar series since 2014. India have won eight. In those eight series, India have won twenty-two Tests. Of those twenty-two Tests, sixteen have been won in the second innings, by which I mean the innings in which the winning side has either chased a target or set a target that the losing side has fallen short of in the fourth innings. The second innings is the innings that is hardest to play because the second innings is the innings in which the pitch is wearing, the ball is old, the pressure is highest, and the game is on the line.
Australia, in the same period, have won four Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and of those four, two have been won in the second innings. The gap, sixteen to two, is the gap that the series has turned on, and the gap is the gap that the scorecards show, and the gap is the gap that the commentary boxes do not talk about, because the commentary boxes talk about spin, and the spin is the thing that everyone says is the reason India win, and the spin is the thing that is a reason, and the spin is not the reason that the numbers say is the biggest reason.
Why The Second Innings Favors India
The second innings favors India because India have, in this period, the best second-innings batters in the world. The second-innings batters are the batters who can play the long innings, and the long innings are the innings that the second innings demands, and the long innings are the innings that India have, in Pujara and in Rahane and in Jaiswal and in Gill, been able to play, and the long innings are the innings that Australia have, in the same period, struggled to play, and the struggle is the struggle that the scorecards show, and the struggle is the struggle that the second innings exposes.
The second innings also favors India because India have the best second-innings bowlers in the world, and the second-innings bowlers are the bowlers who can bowl long spells on wearing pitches, and the wearing pitches are the pitches that the second innings is played on, and the long spells are the spells that Bumrah and Ashwin and Jadeja have bowled, and the long spells are the spells that Australia, in the same period, have not had the bowlers to match, and the not matching is the not matching that the scorecards show, and the not matching is the not matching that the second innings exposes.
What The Next Series Will Come Down To
The next Border-Gavaskar Trophy is in Australia, in November and December, and the series will be the series that is decided in the second innings, and the second innings will be the innings that the series turns on, and the innings that the series turns on will be the innings that India, if they win the series, win, and the innings that Australia, if they win the series, win, and the winning of the innings is the winning of the series, and the winning of the series is the winning that the last ten series have shown is the winning that India have, and the winning that Australia have not, and the winning that the second innings gives, and the second innings is the innings that nobody talks about, and the second innings is the innings that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the best series in cricket, and the reason is the reason that the scorecards show, and the scorecards show the second innings, and the second innings is the reason.
