Finance
After 2014/15, Australia went winless in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on home soil. However, under glorious sunshine at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, the hosts defeated India by six wickets to win the fifth Test and the series 3-1.
In the morning, after starting at 141/6, India could only add 16 runs to their overnight total before their second innings ended in the first 45 minutes of day three. With the surface providing adequate help and movement for seamers, Scott Boland and Pat Cummins each took two wickets in an accurate bowling performance to quickly finish India’s innings and set up a 162-run chase.
Boland’s first five-wicket haul comes in 16.5 overs, with scores of 6-45 in Tests since his iconic 6/7 on debut against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2021 Ashes, as the seamer got a match haul of ten wickets, with the Sydney crowd in pink cheering for him with full energy.
In reply, with Jasprit Bumrah unable to bowl owing to a back spasm, Australia finished the chase in 27 overs, with Usman Khawaja (41), Beau Webster (39 not out), and Travis Head (34 not out) leading the way.
Despite Prasidh Krishna collecting three wickets, it was insufficient for India, who had a dismal bowling performance, as Cummins & Co. finally won the trophy they had been seeking for a long time, especially after being trounced by 295 runs in the first game in Perth.
The victory also means that Australia, the 2023 World Test Championship winners, has advanced to the crucial final, where they will face South Africa at Lord’s in June.
For India, who lost control of the trophy after ten years, they have a lot of thinking to do in all aspects of the game, as well as in leadership duties and tactical planning.
In the morning, Ravindra Jadeja seemed to have got his attacking mojo by slicing a short and wide ball from Cummins for four, taking India’s lead past 150. But two balls later, Cummins got a fuller ball to angle in, then seam away and take the thin outside edge of Jadeja’s bat to Alex Carey and fall for 13 off 45 balls.
In his next over, Cummins got one to angle in from wide of the crease and seam in to castle Washington Sundar him through the gate for 12 off 43 balls. Boland got his six-fer by having Siraj edge to first slip and rattling Bumrah’s leg-stump, to end India’s innings a ball before 40 overs.
India’s start of defending 162 wasn’t ideal as Prasidh and Mohammed Siraj were all over the place in their lines and lengths to concede 35 runs in the first three overs, including eight wides and four leg-byes, apart from Sam Konstas hitting three quick boundaries.
However, Prasidh finally got his lengths correct and dislodged Konstas, who went for a massive slog but holed out to mid-off for 22. Shortly after Australia reached fifty, Prasidh struck again, making Marnus Labuschagne drive to the gully for six.
Steve Smith finished with 9,999 Test runs, one short of joining the 10,000 Test runs club. But Prasidh had different plans, as he bowled a length ball that bounced quickly, took the outside edge of Smith’s bat, and was caught by a forward-diving gully.
Khawaja and Head hung around till lunchtime, ensuring Australia did not lose another wicket in the opening session. After lunch, Khawaja scored five quick boundaries from Prasidh and Siraj, as India conceded 33 runs in the first five overs.
Just when it seemed that Khawaja would get his second fifty of the series, he bottom-edged a pull shot behind to Rishabh Pant off Siraj and fell for 41 off 45 balls, giving the pacer his 100th Test wicket.
Webster, coming off an impressive 57 in the first innings, sparkled with his backfoot punch and leaning drives fetching him boundaries, while Head sliced Nitish Kumar Reddy for his third boundary and elegantly flicked Siraj for four more.
Webster’s confident backfoot play shone brighter when he dragged Siraj for four, slashed Nitish beautifully through the gully, then delivered a square drive off Washington Sundar for two fours.
He lofted Washington over mid-off for the winning four, sending Australia home and won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade. Webster finished his Test debut with scores of 57 and 39 not out, as well as a wicket and two excellent catches.
Brief Scores: India 185 and 157 in 39.5 overs (Rishabh Pant 61; Scott Boland 6-45) lost to Australia 181 and 162/4 in 27 overs (Usman Khawaja 41, Beau Webster 39 not out; Prasidh Krishna 3-65, Mohammed Siraj 1-69) by six wickets
Source: IANS
