Australia beats India by 6 wickets, secures Border-Gavaskar Trophy and WTC Final spot

Australia defeated India by 6 wickets on Sunday in the final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, winning the series 3-1. With this victory, Australia also secured a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second consecutive year. India, on the other hand, was knocked out of the WTC final race.

The Indian team won the toss and opted to bat first, scoring 185 runs in their first innings. Australia responded with 181 runs, giving India a narrow 4-run lead. However, India’s second innings collapsed at 157, leaving Australia a target of 162 runs. Australia achieved this target with ease, scoring 162/4, and won the match by six wickets.

Australia’s Chase and Dominant Performance
Australia started strong in their chase of 162 runs. Openers Sam Constas and Usman Khawaja contributed 22 and 41 runs, respectively. Though Marnus Labuschagne (6) and Steve Smith (4) fell early, Travis Head (34*) and Beau Webster (39*) guided Australia to victory. The Indian team was without captain Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined due to back stiffness, leaving Virat Kohli to lead the team.

For India, fast bowlers Prasidh Krishna (3 wickets) and Mohammad Siraj (1 wicket) were the main contributors in the second innings.

India’s Struggles in the Second Innings
India’s second innings was limited to just 157 runs. The team started with 141/6 but could only add 16 runs on the final day. Ravindra Jadeja (13), Washington Sundar (12), and Siraj (4) fell quickly, while Bumrah was unable to bat due to his injury. The opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal (22) and KL Rahul (13) also failed to provide a solid foundation. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli fell for 13 and 6 runs, respectively. Rishabh Pant played aggressively, scoring 61 off 33 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the collapse.

Scott Boland was the standout for Australia, taking 6 wickets in India’s second innings, with Pat Cummins (3) and Beau Webster (1) providing support.

Australia’s First Innings
Earlier in the match, Australia had posted 181 in their first innings. Beau Webster top-scored with 57, supported by Steven Smith (33), Sam Constas (23), and Alex Carey (21). India’s bowlers, Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, each took 3 wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy added 2 wickets each.

India’s First Innings
India’s first innings saw Rishabh Pant score the highest with 40 runs. Apart from Pant, Ravindra Jadeja (26), Jasprit Bumrah (22), and Shubman Gill (20) made small contributions. Scott Boland was the star bowler for Australia, taking 4 wickets, with Mitchell Starc (3), Pat Cummins (2), and Nathan Lyon (1) providing additional breakthroughs.

Australia’s Victory and Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Australia’s win marks their first Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory in 10 years. The five-match series began with India winning the first Test by 295 runs. Australia bounced back to win the second Test by 10 wickets. The third Test in Brisbane ended in a rain-affected draw. In the fourth Test, Australia won by 184 runs, and with the victory in the final match, they claimed the series 3-1.

Australia’s strong performance in this series not only gave them the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also secured their spot in the World Test Championship final against South Africa, to be held at Lord’s in June. This marks a successful and historic campaign for Australia in Test cricket.