It has been 46 years since India gained a Take a look at match in Sydney, and a victory within the concluding match of this Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) on the Sydney Cricket Floor (SCG) won’t solely finish the wait of greater than 4 many years but in addition assist India retain the trophy.
After a defeat within the fourth Take a look at of this BGT, India conceded a 2-1 result in Australia, who now want only a draw to reclaim the trophy for the primary time since 2014. If India win to make it 2-2, they are going to retain it because the earlier version’s winner.
India started the tour on a rousing observe with a 295-run win in Perth, however misplaced the pink-ball Take a look at in Adelaide by 10 wickets. The Brisbane Take a look at led to a draw, and the hosts as soon as once more dominated the guests within the Boxing Day Take a look at at Melbourne to win by 184 runs.
Whereas India’s solely win of this collection got here at a venue identified for its fast-paced and bouncy pitch (Perth), the collection ultimate can be held at a venue that has traditionally been probably the most spin-friendly venue in Australia, which fits India probably the most.
That was highlighted by spin legend Anil Kumble through the 2003-04 tour of Australia, when the previous India captain claimed a match-haul of 12 wickets.
India not have off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from worldwide cricket after the third Take a look at of this collection, to steer the spin assault. That accountability is now on the shoulders of Ravindra Jadeja, who could have off-spinner Washington Sundar helping him.
Will considered one of them do a Kumble for India? Time will inform.
This is some attention-grabbing trivia for Assessments performed on the SCG up to now:
– Kumble’s match figures of 12 for 279 runs – 8/141 + 4/138 – in January 2004 stay the most effective by an Indian bowler in a Take a look at match at Sydney.
– Rishabh Pant has been a constant performer in Assessments at this venue, scoring 159 not out in January 2019 and 36 & 97 in January 2021. He managed 292 runs in three innings at a mean of 146.00.
– India’s solely triumph out of 13 Assessments performed at this venue had come by an innings and a couple of runs beneath Bishan Singh Bedi’s captaincy in January 1978. India’s three spinners bowled fairly effectively to seize the main chunk of wickets – Bishan Singh Bedi (3/49 + 2/62), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (4/30 + 2/85) and Erapalli Prasanna (1/14 + 4/51).
– India have misplaced 5 and drawn the remaining seven Assessments out of the 13 contested at Sydney.
– Twenty three drawn Assessments out of 112 performed by Australia (gained 61 and misplaced 28) at Sydney are probably the most in any Australian venue.
– Within the 2011-12 Sydney Take a look at, India (191 & 400) had conceded a first-innings lead of 468 to Australia (659/Four declared) — their highest towards Australia. India misplaced by an innings and 68 runs.
– Sachin Tendulkar enjoys an excellent document in Assessments at SCG, aggregating 785 runs in 5 Assessments at a mean of 157.00, together with three a whole bunch and two fifties. His three a whole bunch are 148 not out in 1992, 241 not out in 2004 and 154 not out in 2008.
– Of the eight triple a whole bunch in Assessments by captains, three have been recorded towards India — 329 not out by Michael Clarke (Australia) at Sydney in 2012; 333 by Graham Gooch (England) at Lord’s in 1990 and Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) at Wellington in 2014.
– Clarke stays the one batter and captain to document a triple hundred at Sydney (329 not out towards India in 2012).
– Clarke and Michael Hussey (150 not out) had shared an unbroken partnership of 334 vs India at Sydney in 2012 – the one triple hundred partnership by any pair towards India in Assessments.
– Within the aforesaid Take a look at, Clarke and Ricky Ponting had placed on 288 runs for the fourth wicket – the one occasion for Australia of two 250-plus partnerships in the identical innings. The mentioned occasion stays the one one towards India.
(Stats and trivia by: Rajesh Kumar)
