Three key battles in the India-Australia Test series
Virat Kohli has triumphed over his extended lean patch from last year and his match-up with fast bowler Pat Cummins, the Australia skipper, could light up the series.
India hosts Australia in a hotly anticipated four-match Test series starting on Thursday in Nagpur.
AFP Sport looks at three key battles that could decide who comes out on top in a clash between the world's two top cricket teams.
Kohli v Cummins
Virat Kohli has triumphed over his extended lean patch from last year and his match-up with fast bowler Pat Cummins, the Australia skipper, could light up the series.
The batting maestro has hit four tons since breaking his 1,020-day century drought in last year's T20 Asia Cup, but hasn't been able to bring his white-ball form into Tests.
An exemplary leader, Cummins has on the other hand been in the best Test form of his career, claiming 29 wickets in nine Tests over the past 12 months.
Cummins has got Kohli out five times in Tests, but the home hero will be looking to hit back in his backyard.
"I am really looking forward to seeing Kohli versus Cummins. That's a fantastic match-up," former Aussie quick Jason Gillespie was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
"When Virat comes out to bat, I would love to see Cummins take the ball and go at him straight away. That will be great theatre, two wonderful cricketers at the top of their game."
Warner v Siraj
Sparks are expected to fly when David Warner, an explosive left-handed opener, faces the seam and swing of rising star Mohammed Siraj.
Siraj, 28, got Warner out twice during his 2021 debut in Australia and went on to take 13 wickets in three matches.
He has since grown in stature to regularly lead India's pace attack in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah and has bagged 46 wickets in 15 Tests.
Warner has struggled on Indian pitches, with a batting average of 24.25 in eight Tests in the cricket-mad country. His overall Test average is over 46 across 101 matches.
Both men have something to prove in the coming series and Warner said last year that "winning in India is key".
Khawaja v Ashwin
Indian spinners at home are a challenge for any visiting batsman, but for Australia's in-form opener, Usman Khawaja the task may well decide the fate of the series.
The Islamabad-born Khawaja handled spin with aplomb in Pakistan last year and led the tourists to a 1-0 series win with his 496 runs, including two centuries in three Tests.
The 36-year-old left-hander recently notched up his 4,000th Test run in a match against South Africa in Sydney, where he was 195 not out.
Khawaja is especially wary of Ravichandran Ashwin, who has enjoyed great success against left-handed batsmen, telling The Sydney Morning Herald: "Ashwin is a gun.
"He's very skilful, he's got a lot of tricky little variations, he uses the crease quite well too."
"But it's one of those really good challenges," Khawaja added.
"The wicket's going to turn here at some point, whether day one, day three or day four, and he's going to be in the game and bowl a lot of overs."
UK music industry continue to face systemic barriers that hinder progress, visibility, and career growth – despite decades of contribution and cultural influence, a new report has revealed.
The study, South Asian Soundcheck, published last Tuesday (7), surveyed 349 artists and professionals and found that while many are skilled and ambitious, structural obstacles are still holding them back.
Prepared by Lila, a charity focused on empowering south Asian artists and music professionals, the survey showed that nearly three-quarters of respondents earn some income from music, but only 28 per cent rely on it full time.
More than half struggle to access opportunities or funding, and many said they lack industry networks or knowledge about contracts and rights.
Beyond structural issues, almost half said they face stereotypes about the kind of music they should make; two in five encounter family doubts about music as a career, and one in three has experienced racial discrimination.
Although 69 per cent said there was progress in visibility, but 68 per cent still feel invisible within the industry.
Respondents sought urgent action, including mentorship and networking opportunities, stronger south Asian representation in key industry roles and fairer access to funding.
Veteran musician and composer Viram Jasani, who chaired the Asian Music Circuit and led a national enquiry into south Asian music in 1985, told Eastern Eye the findings were “disheartening”.
“I read the report and my heart sank – it feels as though nothing has changed,” he said.
“Back in 1985, we had already identified the same problems and made clear recommendations for better representation, employment and long-term support. Four decades later, we are still talking about the same issues.”
Jasani, a sitar, tabla and tambura expert, said the report focused mainly on modern genres and overlooked traditional south Asian music, which he believes is central to cultural identity.
“Since colonial times, British attitudes have not changed much,” he said. “If they can erase Indian traditional culture and create a community that lives entirely within an English cultural bubble, then they will have succeeded.”
He added that young south Asian artists were often drawn to Western contemporary music, while neglecting their own heritage.
“We are brilliant in Western genres, but that should come after we are grounded in our traditional shashtriya sangeet (classical music),” he said. “Without that foundation, we lose our sense of identity.”
Jasani also warned a lack of unity within the south Asian community continues to weaken its cultural progress.
He said, “People compete with each other while the world watches. For too long, massaging egos has taken priority over producing the best of our culture.”
According to the survey, one in three has experienced direct racial discrimination. One respondent said, “There are virtually no visible and successful south Asian artists in the mainstream – people simply do not know where to place us.”
Another added: “I want south Asian artists to be part of the collective mainstream industry, not just put on south Asian-specific stages or events.”
While the visibility of south Asian artists has improved, with more names appearing on festival line-ups and in the media, the study revealed this progress remains “surface level”.
Lila’s founder, Vikram Gudi, said the findings show progress has not yet been translated into structural inclusion.
“The data exposes what we call the progress paradox. Seventy-three per cent of the people we surveyed earn some money from music, but only 27 per cent earn enough to rely on it as a sustainable career,” he said.
“The Soundcheck gives us the evidence to enact real change and identifies three essential needs – mentorship, representation, and investment.”
Three-quarters of participants said mentorship from experienced professionals would make the biggest difference to their careers. Many stressed the importance of being guided by people who “understand how the industry works and can connect them to decision-makers”.
Nearly the same proportion called for greater south Asian representation across the music industry – not just on stage, but within executive, programming and production roles at festivals, venues, record labels and streaming services.
Dedicated funding also emerged as a priority, with many describing the current grant systems as inaccessible or ill-suited to the diverse and cross-genre work that defines south Asian creativity today.
Two in five respondents reported that family or community resistance remains a challenge, often due to the perceived instability of a music career. The report argued this scepticism is “economically logical”, when there are so few visible south Asian success stories in the mainstream.
Responding to the report, Indy Vidyalankara, member of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce and BPI Equity & Justice Advisory Group, said: “South Asian music is rich, vibrant, and hugely influential. We need south Asian representation at every level of the ecosystem, plus support and investment to match that influence.”
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