“10 years later”: Australia crushes India and regains the Border-Gavaskar Test Trophy with a 3-1 win

Australia ended India’s decade-long dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, registering a six-wicket win in the final Test in Sydney to claim the series 3-1. The win marked Australia’s first victory over India in ten years and secured 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 runs. Prasidh Krishna (3/65) and Mohammed Siraj (1/69) picked up wickets for India but failed to maintain the pressure, making the chase easy for the hosts.

Earlier in the day, India were bowled out for just 157 runs in the second over. Rishabh Pant’s gallant knock of 61 was the only bright spot in a disappointing batting display. Scott Boland delivered a stunning spell, claiming 6/45, with captain Pat Cummins adding 3/44 to bowl India out within 40 overs. Commenting on his performance, Boland said: “The 3-1 win over India has not happened for a while. I am happy to play whenever I can, and the last few weeks have been fantastic.”

Jasprit Bumrah, who was named man of the series for his impressive 32 wickets, was unable to bowl in the final innings due to back spasms, leaving a glaring hole in India’s attack. “It’s a bit frustrating, but sometimes you have to respect your body,” Bumrah admitted of disappointment. This was a tough series, and although we didn’t win, the guys gained a lot of experience.

Australia captain Pat Cummins praised his team’s effort, saying: “Unreal. Not many of us have won this trophy. It was a special series. Beating India required us to step up, and everyone did. This will be one of my favorite Test series.”

The defeat dashed India’s hopes of reaching the WTC final, as they finished third with a PCT score of 50.00. The loss also exposed India’s over-reliance on Bumrah and their batting weaknesses, raising questions about the team’s future strategy.