Australia ended India’s decade-long dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, securing a six-wicket victory in the final Test at Sydney to claim the series 3-1. The win marked Australia’s first series triumph over India in ten years and ensured their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.
Chasing 162 for victory, Usman Khawaja anchored the innings with a steady 41 at the top before Travis Head (34*) and debutant Beau Webster (39*) saw Australia home in just 27 overs. Prasidh Krishna (3/65) and Mohammed Siraj (1/69) picked up wickets for India but failed to sustain pressure, making it an easy chase for the hosts.
Earlier in the day, India was bundled out for a mere 157 runs in their second innings. Rishabh Pant’s valiant 61 was the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing batting display. Scott Boland delivered a spectacular spell, claiming 6/45, with captain Pat Cummins adding 3/44 to skittle India out within 40 overs. Reflecting on his performance, Boland said, “To win 3-1 against India hasn’t been done in a while. I’m happy playing whenever I can, and the last few weeks have been awesome.”
Jasprit Bumrah, who was named Player of the Series for his remarkable 32 wickets, couldn’t bowl in the final innings due to back spasms, leaving a glaring gap in India’s attack. A disappointed Bumrah admitted, “Little frustrating, but sometimes you have to respect your body. This series was hard-fought, and while we didn’t win, the youngsters gained a lot of experience.”
Australia captain Pat Cummins hailed his team’s effort, saying, “Unreal. Few of us didn’t have this Trophy. It’s been a special series. Beating India required us to step up, and everyone delivered. This will go down as one of my favorite Test series.”
The defeat dashed India’s hopes of reaching the WTC final, as they finished third with a PCT of 50.00. The loss also exposed India’s over-reliance on Bumrah and their batting frailties, raising questions about the team’s future strategy.