Jackson Barrett: Perth is finally back at the centre of cricket world as Border-Gavaskar trophy heats up

The WACA Ground is in lockdown, India has its guard up and Australian legends are already throwing barbs out at India’s players and coaches.

It means the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series must be here.

The cricket rivalry between the two countries is hot on the heels of the Ashes as the most fierce we have got.

And India’s ‘secret squirrel’ entry into Perth this week has put the city at the centre of the cricket world. It’s the biggest benefit of the deal to play the first Test of the summer at Optus Stadium for the next three years.

It means Perth is home to more than just cricket. Last year, it was the storm around David Warner’s selection — sparked by a bombshell column in The Sunday Times from former fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson — and the controversy around Usman Khawaja being banned from wearing a peace dove on his shoe.

This year it has been the selection debate that gripped the nation and now the bizarre siege mentality of our Indian visitors, who have escaped intense scrutiny in their home nation after being wiped off the park in a rare loss to New Zealand.

The West Test in Perth from November 22 is going to be the biggest cricket spectacle we have hosted since a 2013 clash with England where Johnson was in his pomp, Ryan Harris bowled that ripping ball to dismiss Alistair Cook and we claimed the Ashes three-nil en route to a clean sweep.

We have hosted two World Cups since then, but Australia has played one-sided matches here against Afghanistan in 2015 and Sri Lanka in 2022.

We missed out on a match in the most recent Ashes series and the one before that was a rain-ruined drubbing.

And if there was any doubt about that, images of feverish fans climbing trees and even bringing their own ladders to catch a glimpse of their heroes should settle them.

India’s cricket team is one of the biggest brands in world sport and their fascinating locked-down camp in Perth has made for gripping theatre.