Perth, Nov 20 (IANS): Former skipper Ricky Ponting compared the rivalry between Australia and India to that of the Ashes, stating that these two series are the battles in world cricket that everyone looks forward to seeing.

The Ashes has been around for 142 years, with 345 Tests played under it. Australia have won 142 matches as compared to England's 110. On the other hand, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was constituted in 1996/97, with India winning 24 matches and Australia emerging victorious on 20 occasions.

“Australia-England, with the history of the Ashes, but Australia-India is not far behind that and it's built up over a long period of time. I think we all look forward to these sorts of battles. As a past player, as a commentator, I want to see these two teams go out there and play hard and fair and then see who is left standing at the end of the next five games,” said Ponting on the ICC Review Show.

India has won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on last four occasions – both at home and away conditions – since 2016/17. The trophy, named after the first two batsmen to pass 10,000 runs from their respective countries – Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar – will be up for grabs again when India and Australia play first Test at Perth on November 22.

He also expects for the upcoming series, with later matches to be played in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, to produce edge of the seat stuff and competitive cricket. “I don't know if spice is the right word, but I expect the game to be played sort of almost on the edge, if you like, with two of the best teams in the world not wanting to give an inch to each other.”

“Not wanting to give an inch to the opposition, not wanting to lose a single contest through the course of those whole five Test matches. And I think that's the beauty about these great rivalries we have in world sport. I've spoken the last couple of days about Australia-India in a Test match now, it's as big a rivalry as there is in world sport, not just cricket,” he concluded.