In a thrilling conclusion to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia defeated India by 6 wickets in the fifth and final Test at the SCG, claiming a 3-1 series victory. This win not only marks Australia’s first Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in a decade, but it also eliminates India from the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which they had previously qualified for in every cycle since the tournament’s inception.
India’s batting struggles were once again evident as they were bowled out for just 185 in the first innings, with their second innings ending at 157. Despite an impressive bowling effort that saw Australia dismissed for 181 in their first innings, the absence of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined due to a back spasm, proved costly. Bumrah’s injury left India with a weakened attack, and Australia seized the opportunity to chase down the target with ease on the final day.
Australia resumed the chase on Day 5 with some early resistance from Prasidh Krishna, who took two early wickets to spark a glimmer of hope for India. However, Usman Khawaja (41), along with Travis Head and Beau Webster, provided the backbone to Australia’s chase, guiding them to a series-clinching victory.
This result also means Australia qualifies for the WTC final, where they will face South Africa, marking their second consecutive appearance in the showpiece event, after defeating India in the 2023 final.
