Australia defeated India by six wickets in the fifth and final Test match to win the five-match series 3-1 and regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade, further bringing out into stark contrast the frailties in the Indian cricket that has seen them suffer a second successive series loss following the 0-3 humiliation against New Zealand at home a couple of months back.
If the previous four Test matches of the series had exposed the problems in India's batting department, the Sydney Test exposed the limited potency of their pace bowling in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who could not bowl midway through the second day because of a back spasm.
The victory not only ensured Australia earned back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on home soil since 2014-15 but also earned them a place in their second successive final of the World Test Championship against South Africa.
It was a creditable performance by Pat Cummins' Australia as they came back strongly after losing the first Test by 295 runs in Perth. While India's performance went downhill with the second Test in Adelaide, which they lost by 10 wickets. Though the third Test ended in a draw mainly because of rains, Australia won the fourth match at Melbourne by 184 runs to take an unassailable 2-1 lead.
Resuming at the overnight score of 141/6, India lost the remaining four wickets for just 16 runs, in 45 minutes on the third morning of the Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. With the pitch still offering movement for seamers, Scott Boland and Cummins picked two wickets to end India’s innings quickly. This was Boland's first five-wicket haul in Tests since his iconic 6 wickets for 7 runs on his debut against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the 2021 Ashes. With this the 35-year-old seamer completed a match haul of 10 wickets, ending with figures of 10-76.
In the absence of Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna raised some hopes by claiming three wickets in the morning session. However, it was difficult to sustain the momentum because of the support from the other end. Australia were also helped by gritty knocks from Usman Khawaja (41), Beau Webster (39 not out), and Travis Head (34 not out) as they reached 162/4 in 27 overs.
Though Krishna claimed three wickets, it was a horrid bowling display. With there being no calming effect of Bumrah, Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj were all over the place with their line and length to concede 35 runs in the first three overs, sending down eight wides and four leg-byes. Sam Konstas (22) made things worse for them by hitting three quick boundaries.
The defeat left India pondering over their next course of action as far as red-ball cricket is concerned. Skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir may have presented a brave front during the Sydney Test, but the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series defeat has raised many questions to which they have to seek immediate answers.
The defeat has exposed the chinks in the batting front, especially the top order which has left a lot to be desired despite a couple of fighting efforts by Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. The top-order batters have to work out how to play to the situation and curb their instincts to nibble at deliveries way outside the off stump, a trait they had picked up in T20 cricket.
Playing to the situation was severely lacking in the Indian batters and it was best exemplified by Rishabh Pant. His brilliant knock of 61 in the second innings of the fifth Test was the prime example for other batters -- they have to know when to attack and when to curb their natural instincts.
India do not have any immediate assignments in Test cricket till June when they travel to England for a five-Test series.
That will provide the selectors enough time to take a call on the team's leadership and top-order batting, the continuance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The issues in the bowling department will be sorted once Shami returns to action and Bumrah recovers from the back spasm.
