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Going to be led by Jasprit Bumrah instead of regular captian Rohit Sharma, India seek series parity as the fifth and final Test of a highly entertaining Test series unfolds in Sydney. India are the Border-Gavaskar Trophy holders so a win in the ultimate clash will mean they get to retain the bragging rights. Australia, on the other hand, will be keen to lay their hands on the coveted silverware for the first time in ten years.
Stumps on Day 2. The game has rattled along. 11 wickets fell yesterday, and 15 today. The Sydney pitch has offered bounce, carry, zip and plenty of movement to the bowlers, who have rode roughshod as both the team folded under 200 in the first innings.
Indian pace battery despite Bumrah leaving the field for scans functioned like a well-oiled machine. Krishna and Reddy, who were inconsistent with their lines and lengths to begin with, pulled up their socks and helped India confine the hosts for 181, bagging a lead of 4 runs.
Debutant Webster top-scored for the Australians with 57. India’s openers put the hosts under the cosh right away but Boland came in and struck thrice. From 42 for none to 78 for 4, India lost the plot as Boland wreaked havoc. However, Pant scored a brisk 61 off 33 balls to revive the innings. India ended the day with a lead of 145.
If the pitch continues to behave so menacingly like this, India will have a definite advantage, but they would want to safeguard themselves by adding as many runs as possible on Day 3. On that note, it was hard to understand why Ravindra Jadeja played possum in the middle. Another towering question would be how much Bumrah will be able to contribute in this game? That would bear a heavy influence on the outcome. We will detail everything out to you tomorrow as well. Good bye!
🇮🇳 need a decent enough total on the board to retain the bragging rights on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy & Rishabh Pant consolidated the visitors' position with an archetypal knock from 78/4️🔥💪🏼
India finish the 2nd day with a lead of 145 runs. Read blog https://t.co/McDumjYrUB pic.twitter.com/GKV79pvJpr
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 4, 2025
Pant moves to 40 off 19 balls with a slog sweep over backward square leg. He’s not yet played an innings of note in this series but it might just prove to be a case of saving it for the last. India need a decent enough total on the board to retain the bragging rights on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and Pant is increasing the worry lines of Australia by smoking the ball all around the park. Lots of archetypal audacity in there with some calculated risks, like the wallop over cover off the medium pace of Webster.
Yashasvi Jaiswal came out all guns blazing as Mitchell Starc paid a heavy price of serving width upfront, but Scott Boland’s triple whammy ensured that India aren’t allowed to run away with the game after securing a 4-run lead.
He got rid of Rahul, Jaiswal and Kohli as India lost the plot from a relatively advantageous position of 42 for none. Beau Webster then got his maiden Test wicket as Gill advanced to try and hit him out of the park. Runs have come at a premium in this Test so India have decided to score quickly, by hook or by crook. Pant is leading that effort, having clubbed his first ball for six, much to disbelief of all involved.
Scott Boland with a peach to get KL Rahul! #AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/Cu1qhVVvWQ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2025
India’s change seamers have stepped up big time in the absence of spearhead Bumrah, who left the field for scans. His workload has been enormous in the series, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say India might just have bowled him into the ground as injury clouds hover above the maestro.
Prasidh Krishna deserves heaps of credit for breaking two significant partnerships. First Smith, and then Carey. He also removed the only half-centurion of this game by claiming the wicket of Webster. Nitish too added a couple to his tally and facilitated the wrap-up alongside Siraj and Prasidh. India’s wonderful bowling display may well have set up a final-innings shootout in the Sydney Test.
🇮🇳 have performed exceptionally with the ball, even in the absence of Bumrah towards the end, to gain a slender lead.
Three wickets for Siraj and Prasidh, two each for Nitish and Bumrah, who left the field for scans.
LIVE BLOG https://t.co/M2suTe0BpA#INDvsAUS #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/mmHZCxJplg
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 4, 2025
The lanky pacer hasn’t been able to maintain a tight grouping of balls but two of his more fuller deliveries of the day have reaped rewards. Steve Smith nicked off first and now Alex Carey loses his poles. Krishna even conceded five wides prior to that dismissal but when he gets it right, India’s third seamer has the pace and skill to create an impact.
Meanwhile, debutant Webster is proving his mettle. Good technique and temperament. An emphatic cover drive off Ravindra Jadeja takes him closer to his fifty. India have stationed a short leg for Pat Cummins.
On the other side of Lunch, Alex Carey has crunched a couple of cover drives with typical flourish and Beau Webster flick-drove a half-volley as Australia look to wrestle back the momentum from India. There is still great bounce and carry in this pitch, given Rishabh Pant just reverse-cupped a full-length delivery.
Smith falls five runs short of 10,000 runs in Tests. Hammer blow for Australia, and a jumbo strike for India. Prasidh bowls it fuller at 134.4 kmph, outside off, Smith walks across but fails to cover the line. The ball kissed the edge and the man at second slip gobbles it up. India’s catching has been on point here in Sydney after the poor performance in Melbourne, with Yashasvi copping the lion’s share of the blame.
A wicket against the run of play for India. Just the end they aspired for as Australia continued to ace the second half of the session. This is a big moment in the game as Smith was looking primed for a noteworthy score.
This partnership has grown steadily to now be worth 40(79). Both the batters have shown a sense of urgency and moved the game along. Nitish Reddy and Prasidh Krishna have been too random, lacing the consistency required to squeeze the flow of runs and eventually draw an error.
There has been more swing in the first 10 overs this morning than any other 10-over block in the series according to Fox Cricket’s broadcast, and India have made the most of it after putting up a lowly first-innings total.
Siraj was producing some lovely late outswing and Konstas doesn’t have either the patience or the humility in him to see through the trickeries of the new ball. Booming drive and a thick edge to gully. The Indian fielders are letting him know about his loudmouthed tendencies.
Travis Head struggles with the ball angling across him early in the innings and India have exploited that loophole to perfection. Third consecutive failure for the man who was giving India the nightmares till the Brisbane Test.
The ball is hooping around corners and the bounce is remarkable. Konstas seems to have decided that there is not much sense in playing conventional cricket because sooner or later, there’s going to come a ball with his name on it. Gives himself some room to flatbat Bumrah down the ground and then reverse ramps the Indian spearhead as India bring the fielder at third man in.
Had the shy at the non-striker’s end been an accurate one it could have seen the back of Smith cheaply, but the Australian stalwart survives. Konstas clipped the ball to the right of Sundar at gully. Smith wanted a single, but Konstas wasn’t up for it. The throw was wayward, much to India’s chagrin. Smith was halfway down the track so the fielder could’ve taken a moment to aim properly.
The ball is zipping off the surface on the second morning and Labuschagne falls victim to the excellent carry and slight away-movement Bumrah is able to generate. Opens Labuschagne up on the front foot and elicits the faintest of outside edges through to the keeper. India knew there was a feather and had no hesitations in going up for the review.
