The Australian team pose with the Border Gavaskar Trophy after defeating India in the fifth cricket test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Photo: AP/Mark Baker The Australian team pose with the Border Gavaskar Trophy after defeating India in the fifth cricket test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Photo: AP/Mark Baker India's decade of dominance over Australia ended on Sunday as the Aussies clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a six-wicket win in the fifth and final Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. (Day 3 Blog | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
Australia thus won the series 3-1, marking their first Test series win over India since 2014-15.
India were without the services of their captain Jasprit Bumrah in the second innings and their bowling looked ordinary as Australia chased down a 162-run target with ease.
The stark difference between the two bowling line-ups without Bumrah was on display early on the third day. While Pat Cummins and Scott Boland wrapped up India's second innings in just 7.5 overs, conceding only 14 runs for the last four wickets, the duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna leaked 13 runs each from their very first overs. Out of the 26, 12 came off extras due to the wayward bowling of the pair.
After a horror start, Siraj and Krishna did find their rhythm with the latter picking up three wickets in the first session. Krishna first forced an attacking Sam Konstas to miscue one to mid-off before getting both Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to edge to Jaiswal in slips.
However, between the threatening deliveries, the bad balls that invited boundaries continued to come.
Indian hopes were revived when Usman Khawaja fell for 41 with the target still 58 runs to away. However, debutant Beau Webster joined Travis Head to guide Australia to a memorable series victory. Webster scored the winning boundary off Washington Sundar and finished with 39 not out while Head remained at the other end with an unbeaten 34.
Earlier, in the day Boland completed his second Test five-wicket haul and finished with the figures of 6-45. Boland, along with Cummins, ensured India's tail did not wag too much and the visitors were bowled out for 157.
On the second day, Australia had finished on 181 in the first innings in reply to India's 185 that they scored after winning the toss and batting first. Rohit Sharma chose to sit out and Bumrah captained India in the Test match before he too pulled out due to injury. India were led by Virat Kohli in the absence of Bumrah.
The 36-year-old said that despite cricket drawing a lot of attention, it just is always special when the Indian hockey team clinches a medal.
play777With the Sydney losshot646, India went down 1-3 in the series despite winning the opening Test in Perth. This is India's second successive series defeat after an embarrassing 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand at home.