Australia Defeated India 3-1 And Marked The Final Spot In WTC Final Against South Africa
Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a prize they had been without for ten years, and secured their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final alongside South Africa after defeating India in just three days at the SCG.
India’s chances of remaining in the WTC final race depended on Jasprit Bumrah; however, in his absence, those chances diminished. Given his significant impact on this series, where he took the most wickets by an Indian bowler during a tour of Australia, it was unfortunate that he couldn’t participate in the final match, although he had still made enough of a contribution to be named Player of the Series.
After leaving the ground on Day 2 for back scans on the second day, Bumrah returned to bat at No. 11 on the third day but was unable to bowl. Early signs indicated that Bumrah would not be available, as he did not warm up with the other bowlers and only engaged in some shadow-bowling. Following his dismissal as the last India batter for a duck, he did not take the field for India’s defense of 161. Considering his history with back problems, India needed to be extra cautious with him.
The target was significant for Australia, particularly on the lively SCG pitch, but it seemed much more manageable when Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna struggled with the new ball. In the initial two overs, the duo allowed 12 runs from wides and byes down the leg side. While Prasidh improved and captured three wickets, including Steven Smith, Bumrah’s absence weighed heavily on India.
The batters complicating matters further for India’s weakened bowling attack. They collapsed for 157, losing 4 wickets for just 16 runs in 7.5 overs on the third morning. Scott Boland, who might not have participated in this series had Josh Hazlewood been healthy, and is uncertain for Australia’s next Test in Sri Lanka, achieved his first ten-wicket haul in professional cricket to accelerate India’s downfall. After taking four wickets on the first day at the SCG, Boland added six more to his count—this being his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket since his debut performance of 6 for 7, which was equally remarkable.
Boland began the day with a maiden over and maintained pressure by consistently finding the perfect length. He had Siraj caught at first slip and dismissed Bumrah in the 40th over to bring India’s innings to a close. Boland then, appropriately, raised his ball in celebration and led Australia off the field, receiving a warm ovation from the SCG crowd.
Earlier, his captain Cummins claimed the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Jadeja had been put down by Smith in the slips while on 6 on day two, but it only cost Australia seven runs, as Cummins bowled much fuller to find Jadeja’s outside edge. He then slipped one through Washington’s defenses, revealing India’s lower order to Boland.
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Australia took advantage of the erratic new-ball bowling from Siraj and Krishna, racing to 39 without loss in the fourth over. Prasidh eventually gave India their first breakthrough when he had Sam Konstas miscue a slog to mid-off for 22 off 17 balls.
Following the second day of play, Prasidh discussed how he adjusted from a back of a length plan to a fuller one after a conversation with the analyst. However, on Sunday, with the newer, harder ball, he achieved more bounce and seam movement with his natural length. After hitting Marnus Labuschagne on the elbow, Prasidh induced a catch to gully.
For the second consecutive day, more than 40,000 fans at the SCG were ready to celebrate Smith reaching 10,000 Test runs, but Prasidh had different plans and dismissed him just one run short of the milestone with a lively delivery. Smith will now have to wait until the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle later this month for his next chance to join the exclusive 10,000 Test-run club.
India had to bide their time until after lunch to remove Usman Khawaja. The opener miscalculated Siraj’s length and bottom-edged a pull shot to Pant for 41 off 45 balls. Following that wicket, India sensed momentum shift in their favor. Siraj let out a roar while Virat Kohli, acting as captain, sprinted toward his bowler from the slips, energetically pumping his fist.
Travis Head and newcomer Beau Webster quickly shifted the atmosphere and the dynamics of the game. When Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered a wide half-volley in his opening over, Head positioned himself leg side and executed a powerful shot through the covers. Meanwhile, Webster adopted a more cautious approach but still maintained a brisk scoring rate, aided by his long reach, which threw off the bowlers’ lengths.
Having made his first-class debut in 2014, Webster may have questioned whether he would ever reach the top level. When the opportunity finally arose, the 31-year-old made it unforgettable. He led Australia’s scoring with 57 runs in their first innings—only Pant surpassed him in runs—and took the wicket of Shubman Gill, complemented by some outstanding catches in the slips.
On Sunday, Webster recorded an unbeaten 39 from 34 deliveries and delivered the finishing touch when he advanced on Washington and sent the ball straight down the mid-off for four runs. Australia successfully chased down the target of 162 in just 27 overs.
Prasidh and Siraj bowled 24 of the first 25 overs during the chase, with their only break—aside from a lunch interval—occurring when Australia was three hits away from winning. Jadeja did not bowl at all in the final innings, while Washington only bowled once, raising concerns about India’s selection choices once more. In contrast to Australia’s deep bowling attack, India’s lack of depth was evident, and Bumrah’s injury further complicated their challenging tour down under.
India failed to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years due to lack of contribution from team. Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal gave their all but hardly anyone gave them the consistent support.
