Watch cricket video highlights of India tour of Australia 2024/25. 5th Test between Australia and India. Venue of the match will be Sydney.
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After defeating India in three days at the SCG, Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the trophy that had evaded them for ten years, and guaranteed their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final with South Africa. With Jasprit Bumrah out of the picture, India’s chances of making it to the WTC final vanished. Although he had done enough to win Player of the Series, it was unfortunate that he was unable to participate in the final act.
He had a significant impact on this series and had taken the most wickets of any Indian bowler during a tour to Australia. Bumrah returned to bat at No. 11 on the third day after leaving the SCG on the second day for back scans, but he was unable to bowl. The disappearance of Bumrah had been hinted at in all the early images. He merely played a little shadow bowling and did not warm up with the other bowlers. Then, after becoming the final batsman from India to be out for a duck, he did not play in the defense of 161.
India had to wrap him in cotton wool because of his history of back problems. Australia had a big target, especially on this hot SCG surface, but when Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna blasted the new ball about, it looked much smaller. In the opening two overs, the duo let up 12 runs down the leg side with wides and byes. The loss of Bumrah hung around India’s neck like Coleridge’s albatross, even when Prasidh tightened up and claimed three wickets, including Steven Smith’s. India’s exhausted onslaught was not made any easier by the batsmen.
On the third morning, they collapsed for 157 after losing 4 for 16 in 7.5 overs. In order to speed up India’s downfall, Scott Boland, who might not have played this series had Josh Hazlewood been healthy and might not be guaranteed for Australia’s upcoming Test match in Sri Lanka, took his maiden ten-wicket haul in professional cricket. Boland added six wickets to his total after taking four on the first day at the SCG. This was his second five-for in Test cricket since his equally spectacular debut of six for seven.
Boland began the day with a maiden and proceeded to hit a perfect length, stalking all sides. In the 40th over, he castled Bumrah to end India’s innings and had Siraj caught at first slip. The SCG crowd cheered Boland on as he led Australia off the field while, appropriately, holding the ball high. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja had already been taken out by his skipper Cummins. On day two, Smith had dropped Jadeja in the slips on six, but Australia only lost by seven runs because Cummins went considerably farther to kiss Jadeja’s outside edge.
Then, to reveal India’s tail to Boland, he nibbled one through Washington’s fence. Australia ran away to 39 for no loss in the fourth over after taking advantage of Siraj and Krishna’s errant new-ball bowling. With Sam Konstas misfiring on a slog to mid-off for 22 from 17 balls, Prasidh gave India the lead. Following the play on the second day, Prasidh talked about how, following a conversation with the analyst, he changed from using a stock back of a length plan to one that was far more comprehensive.
On Sunday, though, he gained more bounce and seam movement with his natural length with the newer, harder ball. Prasidh had Marnus Labuschagne guiding a catch to gully after he had slapped him on the elbow. More than 40,000 spectators at the SCG were ready to celebrate Smith reaching 10,000 Test runs for the second time in two days, but Prasidh had other plans and caught him one run short of the milestone with a prancing delivery.
Smith’s next chance to join the 10,000 club as the 15th Test batter will now have to wait until the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle later this month. India was unable to remove Usman Khawaja till after noon. Siraj’s length was misread by the opener, who bottom-edged a pull to Pant for 41 off 45 balls. After that, India thought they were onto something. Virat Kohli, acting as captain, rushed towards his bowler from the slips and pumped his fist enthusiastically as Siraj shouted.
However, Travis Head and rookie Beau Webster swiftly altered the tone and the match. Head kept leg side of the ball and smashed a rasping stroke between the covers after Nitish Kumar Reddy let away a wide half-volley in his opening over. Webster, on the other hand, was less daring but still scored quickly because of his long reach, which interfered with the bowlers’ lengths. After making his first-class debut in 2014, Webster may have questioned if he would ever get to play at the highest level. The 31-year-old made it unforgettable when it did.
Along with some outstanding catches in the slips, he removed Shubman Gill and led Australia in scoring with 57 in their opening innings, which was second only to Pant’s total. When Webster went out to Washington and pumped him straight of mid-off for four on Sunday, he gave him the coup de grâce. Webster had hit an undefeated 39 off 34 balls. In 27 overs, Australia managed to chase down 162. In the chase, Prasidh and Siraj bowled 24 of the first 25 overs. Apart from a lunch break, their only reprieve was when Australia was just three hits away from winning.
Washington bowled just one over in the last innings, while Jadeja did not bowl at all. India’s offense lacked the depth that Australia possessed, and their difficult trip to Australia was made worse by Bumrah’s absence.
