Australia Reclaims Border-Gavaskar Trophy After Decisive Victory Over India in Sydney

India’s hopes for the WTC Final shattered as Australia seals a 3-1 series win, marking a dominant return to glory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Sydney [Australia], January 5: Australia has reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decisive six-wicket victory over India in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), securing a 3-1 series triumph. This victory marks the end of a 10-year drought and sets the stage for Australia’s clash with South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s later this year.

Australia’s Commanding Triumph

Opting to sit out the crucial Test, Rohit Sharma watched from the sidelines, while head coach Gautam Gambhir could only look on in disappointment as India’s campaign unraveled.

India’s innings began with faint hopes but quickly crumbled as Pat Cummins and Scott Boland wreaked havoc. Ravindra Jadeja was the first to fall on Day 3, dismissed by Cummins. Washington Sundar followed soon after, and Jasprit Bumrah, despite his fighting spirit and aggressive intent with the bat, fell victim to Boland’s sharp bowling.

India managed only 157 runs in their second innings, leaving Australia with a modest target of 162. Boland shone brightly with figures of 6/45, while Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins provided crucial support.

Australia’s Confident Chase

Australia started aggressively with Sam Konstas capitalizing on a weakened Indian bowling attack. India’s stand-in skipper, Jasprit Bumrah, was notably absent with a back injury, leaving Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna to lead the attack.

The Indian bowlers had brief moments of brilliance. Prasidh Krishna delivered a fiery spell, dismissing Konstas, Labuschagne, and Steven Smith before lunch. Smith fell agonizingly short of reaching 10,000 Test runs, undone by Krishna’s extra bounce and a stunning catch by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

However, the breakthroughs were not enough. Travis Head (34*) and debutant Beau Webster (39*) played calmly under pressure, steering Australia to victory with unwavering resolve. Webster fittingly sealed the match with a boundary, sparking celebrations in the Australian camp.

Indian Batting Struggles Continue

India’s poor batting display throughout the series continued to haunt them. Rishabh Pant’s 61 in the second innings was the lone bright spot, while the rest of the batting lineup failed to make an impact.

Series Impact and Road Ahead

With this win, Australia books their spot in the WTC Final, while India’s hopes now hinge on other results. The hosts celebrated not just a victory, but a statement of dominance, bringing the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy back to Australia.

Brief Scores:
India: 185 & 157 (Rishabh Pant 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 22; Scott Boland 6/45)
Australia: 181 & 162/4 (Travis Head 34*, Beau Webster 39*; Prasidh Krishna 3-65)