NEW DELHI: Australia secured a six-wicket victory within the fifth and remaining Check towards India in Sydney, clinching the collection 3-1 and securing their place within the World Check Championship remaining.
The match concluded on the third day, with India being dismissed for 157 of their second innings, including solely 16 runs to their in a single day rating of 141/6.
Scott Boland, the Australian pacer, was the standout performer, claiming exceptional figures of 6/45 within the innings and 10 wickets within the match. His relentless accuracy and skill to extract motion off the pitch proved an excessive amount of for the Indian batters.
Chasing a goal of 162 runs, the Australian batters displayed a composed and decided strategy, reaching the required whole earlier than the tea break.
The Indian bowling assault, hampered by the absence of their premier strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah resulting from harm, struggled to make inroads towards the resolute Australian batting lineup.
As Australia regained the Border-Gavaskar trophy (BGT) for the primary time because the 2014-15 season, right here we check out the 5 main taking factors from the BGT 2024/25.
Jasprit Bumrah: The chief main from the entrance
India’s tempo spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has solidified his status as a world-class expertise through the latest Border-Gavaskar Trophy collection towards Australia.
All through the collection, Bumrah claimed a formidable 32 wickets at an excellent common of 13.06, setting a brand new file for probably the most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in a single collection in Australia.
His standout efficiency got here through the Boxing Day Check, the place he bowled an astonishing 53.2 overs, the very best workload of his profession in a single match, demonstrating exceptional endurance and dedication to the crew’s trigger.
Nevertheless, this herculean effort took a bodily toll on Bumrah, limiting his contributions within the subsequent Sydney Check resulting from a again challenge. Regardless of this setback, his important significance to the crew’s success was underscored by the truth that he was entrusted with the captaincy in Perth and Sydney, filling in for Rohit Sharma.
All through the collection, Bumrah’s skill to persistently ship match-winning performances and his unwavering dedication to the crew’s trigger had been on full show.
5-Check collection ends with a bang
The primary-ever five-Check collection between the 2 groups witnessed an unprecedented surge in attendance, with crowds flocking to witness the historic occasion.
The collection, strategically scheduled through the vacation season and favoured by beneficial climate situations, captivated spectators with its electrifying cricket motion, shattering attendance information and reaffirming the enduring attraction of the red-ball format.
The spotlight of the collection was the fourth Check on the iconic Melbourne Cricket Floor, the place an astounding 373,691 followers attended over the course of 5 days.
This exceptional determine surpassed the earlier file of 350,534 set through the legendary 1936-37 Ashes collection on the similar venue, a collection that was dominated by the cricket nice Donald Bradman in an period when Checks spanned six days.
Wins for debutants
The rise of Sam Konstas for Australia and Nitish Kumar Reddy for India spotlights the wealthy expertise pipeline rising for each groups. These younger gamers, aged 19 and 21 respectively, marked their Check debuts with spectacular performances, signalling promising futures.
Konstas displayed an aggressive batting strategy in his first innings in Brisbane, scoring a fast 60 towards Jasprit Bumrah, one of many world’s premier bowlers.
His fearless intent and stroke play have sparked discussions about his potential as a long-term opener for Australia.
Reddy demonstrated his versatility and composure beneath stress. He supplied essential help to India’s frontline bowlers whereas scoring a commanding maiden century within the fourth Check.
His all-round contributions present India’s depth and Reddy’s functionality to excel in each batting and bowling, securing his place as a significant participant for the crew’s future.
Underperforming superstars
Each Australia and India are present process a transitional part of their respective cricket groups, with this collection doubtlessly marking the tip of the highway for some ageing and underperforming veterans.
Australian opener Usman Khawaja, aged 38, has struggled to make significant contributions, managing solely 41 runs within the second innings at Sydney.
Whereas his expertise is invaluable, the dearth of an apparent successor could quickly lengthen his tenure within the aspect.
For India, captain Rohit Sharma, aged 37, finds himself beneath rising scrutiny resulting from a dreadful run of type, which led to his omission from the ultimate Check in Sydney.
Though he claimed it was a “relaxation” choice for the crew’s profit, his worldwide future in Check cricket seems unsure.
Virat Kohli, aged 36, can also be nearing the tip of his illustrious profession. Regardless of smashing an unbeaten century within the second innings in Perth, his consistency has waned, and this might doubtlessly be his final tour of Australia.
Steve Smith ends BGT 24/25 on a excessive
Steve Smith, all the time a nemesis towards India, is poised to attain a big milestone by crossing the coveted 10,000-run mark in Check cricket throughout Australia’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.
Having narrowly missed the mark in Sydney, the 35-year-old prolific batsman, at the moment standing at 9,999 Check runs, continues to defy age and expectations together with his exceptional performances.
In a collection the place lots of his contemporaries struggled, Smith stood out with two gritty centuries. His unorthodox, fidgety fashion stays as efficient as ever, indicating that he has loads extra to supply on the prime degree.
With no rapid plans for retirement, Smith can also be a powerful contender to guide Australia in Sri Lanka if the present skipper, Pat Cummins, opts out for the beginning of his second baby.
His management expertise and unyielding type make him an indispensable asset to the Australian setup.
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