New Delhi, Aug 21 : Australia's fast-bowling spearhead Mitchell Starc believes the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is right on par with the Ashes as the biggest series to feature in for men's players in the country. Australia have not won the Border-Gavaskar trophy since 2014/15, as India prevailed over them in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 series. For this year, the series has been expanded to five Test matches, happening for the first time since the 1991/92 season, when it begins on November 22 at Perth.

"Being five matches now it's probably right on par with an Ashes series. We always want to win every game at home and we know India are a very strong team. As we're placed at the minute we're the top two teams on the Test ladder.'

'So a very exciting series coming up for the fans and certainly the players. Hopefully, when we're sitting there on the 8th of January we have that trophy back on our shores," Starc told Wide World of Sports.

Starc will be flying to England to play ODIs for Australia but is rested from T20I games against the hosts and Scotland. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy coming up, Starc stated he doesn't plan to miss any chance of playing Test cricket.

"The Tests will always be taking precedence for me. We've got seven Tests on the bounce with five against India and then two in Sri Lanka, so they sit top of the tree with what's coming up. The schedule is pretty fluid...the three quicks in particular, Josh (Hazlewood), Pat (Cummins) and I, we all play three formats so it might look differently for each of us."

"Pat is resting for this UK tour...we love playing all three formats but that could look different at different times over 12 months. I don't think we've put a deadline on anything. The Test matches will remain a priority, certainly for myself and I think it would be similar for the other two as well."

"There is certainly no end date on (our bowling careers). That will be an ongoing one. We'll see where (our) bodies are and they want to keep going, but at this stage, it's all guns blazing for five Tests against India," he elaborated.

The left-arm pacer, who is 11 games away from completing 100 Test match appearances for Australia, signed off by saying he doesn't have any plans to let go of Test cricket and ply his trade regularly in franchise T20 leagues.

"However long I go for - if it's 11 matches, if it's more, if it's not - I do thoroughly enjoy playing cricket for Australia and every time I get to wear the baggy green cap it feels very special."

"Hopefully, it's five times through the summer with five wins and we can sing that song five times, then we move on from there. If it does come to a point where I'm lucky enough to get past that 100 number then it's obviously going to be pretty special as well."

/IANS