Patiala, 05 January (Sports Desk)
Australia has clinched both the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Final at Lord’s, defeating India by six wickets in the fifth Test at the SCG.
Travis Head and debutant Beau Webster guided Australia to victory on day three, successfully chasing down the target. Webster sealed the win with a boundary off Washington Sundar, finishing with a commendable 39 not out in his first Test match.
Steve Smith’s pursuit of 10,000 Test runs was temporarily halted after he was dismissed for four earlier in the day, leaving him one run short of the milestone. Prasidh Krishna’s short delivery led to Smith’s dismissal, putting Australia in a precarious position at 58/3. However, Usman Khawaja (41), Head, and Webster stabilized the innings and steered their team to victory.
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Earlier in the match, Australia wrapped up India’s innings for 157. Scott Boland claimed a six-wicket haul, which included the wicket of Jasprit Bumrah, who batted despite a back injury. Bumrah did not take the field for Australia’s second innings.
Key Moments and Context:
- India resumed day three at 141/6. Cummins dismissed Ravindra Jadeja (13) and Washington Sundar (12), while Boland took his fifth wicket, dismissing Mohammed Siraj (4).
- Bumrah bowled only one over on day two after lunch, with a noticeable drop in his bowling speed. Scans later revealed he was suffering from back spasms. Despite the injury, Bumrah had bowled 152.1 overs across nine innings in the series, taking 32 wickets at an average of 13.06, surpassing Bishan Bedi’s record for most wickets by an Indian bowler on an Australian tour.
- A win for Australia would secure a 3-1 series victory and a place in the WTC25 Final at Lord’s. A draw would have ensured a 2-2 series result and India retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but they would have relied on results from Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka to qualify for the WTC final.
- Rishabh Pant’s aggressive innings on day two, where he scored 61 off 33 balls, briefly put India in a commanding position. However, Australia regained control thanks to Boland’s four-wicket haul. Pant fell to a catch off Cummins, while Nitish Kumar Reddy was dismissed by Boland. Jadeja survived a dropped catch by Smith off Webster.
This victory secures Australia’s place in the WTC25 Final and gives them the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
