IND vs AUS 5th Test Sydney:
The Indian team succumbed to a six-wicket loss against Australia in the Sydney Test. This defeat resulted in India losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) after a 10-year hold. With the series result at 1-3, India missed the chance to qualify for the World Test Championship final, where Australia will face South Africa.
Bumrah, the Series Star; Batsmen Disappoint
Team India made a powerful start in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with a victory in the Perth Test. However, their momentum was lost soon after. Australia won the Adelaide Test by 10 wickets, and India narrowly avoided defeat in Brisbane. The Melbourne Test witnessed a replication of Adelaide's outcome, with Australia triumphing by 184 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah emerged as India's standout performer, earning the title 'Player of the Series' with a remarkable feat of 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 over 9 innings, marking the first time an Indian bowler achieved such a milestone in Australia. Additionally, Bumrah scored 42 runs, surpassing even Rohit Sharma. He displayed leadership prowess as captain in the Perth Test, securing a victory for India, and continued to lead in the Sydney Test despite being sidelined from bowling in the second innings due to injury. His presence might have subdued Australia’s chase of 162 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah’s stellar performance was overshadowed by the Indian batsmen’s lackluster show. His fellow bowlers, including Mohammad Siraj, lacked consistency. Other bowlers such as Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar couldn’t capitalize on their chances.
Kohli-Rohit-Rahul Fail to Impress
The biggest drawback came from the Indian batsmen. Excluding Yashasvi Jaiswal, no Indian batsman averaged close to 40 in the series. Yashasvi accumulated 391 runs at an average of 43.44 with one century and two fifties but didn’t score much in the other seven innings.
Captain Rohit Sharma had a disappointing stint, scoring just 31 runs at a poor average of 6.20 over 5 innings, leading him to opt out of the Sydney Test, where Shubman Gill replaced him. Gill managed 93 runs at an 18.60 average, performed inadequately for a No.3 batsman.
Virat 'King' Kohli hinted at reclaiming form with a century in Perth but went silent thereafter, amassing only 190 runs at an average of 23.75 in 10 innings. KL Rahul’s initial innings showed promise, but his form faded, ending with 276 runs at a 30.66 average, including two fifties.
Source: aajtak
Debutant Nitesh Kumar Reddy scored 298 runs at a 37.25 average, including a century that pulled India out of a crisis during the Melbourne Test. However, he failed in subsequent innings. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant had promising starts but could not convert them, yielding 255 runs at a 28.33 average over 9 innings. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja also failed to impress with respective tallies of 114 runs in 6 innings and 135 runs in 5 innings.
India's Playing Eleven in Sydney Test:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitesh Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah (Captain), and Mohammad Siraj.
Australia's Playing Eleven for Sydney Test:
Sam Constas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India's Test Record in Sydney:
Total Tests: 14 | Wins: 1 | Losses: 6 | Draws: 7
India vs Australia Test Series Head-to-Head:
Total Series: 29 | India Wins: 11 | Australia Wins: 13 | Draws: 5
India's Test Series Record in Australia:
Total Series: 14 | India Wins: 2 | Australia Wins: 9 | Draws: 3
Team India's Australia Tour Itinerary:
November 22-25: 1st Test, Perth (India won by 295 runs)December 6-8: 2nd Test, Adelaide (Australia won by 10 wickets)December 14-18: 3rd Test, Brisbane (Draw)December 26-30: 4th Test, Melbourne (Australia won by 184 runs)January 3-5: 5th Test, Sydney (Australia won by 4 wickets)
