Australia win SCG Test by six wickets, reclaim Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years
Sydney: A listless India was knocked out of the World Test Championship (WTC) final as Australia cruised to a six-wicket victory in the fifth Test here on Sunday to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years, leaving the visitors with much to deliberate in a difficult transition phase made worse by over-the-hill batting stars.
Australia won the five-match series 3-1 and qualified for the WTC final against South Africa slated at the Lord’s from June 11 to 15.
While Australia would be eyeing a second successive WTC mace, it would be the first time since the event’s inception that India won’t be in the finals. The team had finished runner-up in the previous two summit clashes.
On Sunday, the target of 162 could have been trickier for Australia had India’s new Test captain Jasprit Bumrah been in a position to bowl despite painful back spasms. But once Virat Kohli led the team out, it was as clear as the Sydney skyline that defending the total would be next to impossible.
Bumrah deservedly walked away with the player of the series honour for his astonishing haul of 32 wickets in five matches. But it was hardly a consolation for the shambolic team performance that India managed, showing resilience only in brief phases.
Prasidh Krishna (3/65 in 12 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (1/69 in 12 overs) were not a patch on Bumrah and despite multiple breakthroughs, they bowled too many poor deliveries to make it easy for the hosts to canter home in just 27 overs.
Usman Khawaja (41), Travis Head (34 not out) and debutant Beau Webster (39 not out) completed the formalities, putting an end to India’s misery in a tour that has exposed all of the team’s batting frailties and an unhealthy reliance on Bumrah.
Once Bumrah was ruled out after he tried some shadow bowling during the morning warm-up session and didn’t feel comfortable, the writing was on the wall.
The magnificent Scott Boland (6/45) and the ever-reliable Pat Cummins (3/44) polished off the Indian tail for just 157 in 39.5 overs. If one takes out Rishabh Pant’s feisty 61 and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 22, the other nine players collectively contributed a mere 74 runs.
The series would leave the men who matter in Indian cricket establishment with a lot on their minds when they deliberate on ways to get the house back in order.
