The series loss against Australia also ended India’s hopes of reaching the ICC World Test Championships final, scheduled at the Lord’s in June, this year.
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch, used for the recent fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), has managed to received a ‘satisfactory’ rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC) despite rolling out one of the spiciest wickets of this century.
The Border-Gavaskar series may have ended on a disappointing note for India with several stalwarts failing to deliver when the team needed them the most during the 1-3 loss -- their first in a decade, but one player left everyone speechless and earned praises from his teammates and opposition alike.
Australia would be hoping for Jasprit Bumrah to remain in the sidelines for the rest of the fifth and final Test after India’s pace spearhead and stand-in skipper was forced out of the ground with back spasms on day two of the Sydney Test.
Acknowledging the inconsistency of the surface at the Sydney Cricket Ground, India pacer Prasidh Krishna said there is no particular target in mind after his team ended up with an overall lead of 145 with four wickets in their bag after the second day’s play in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Saturday.
At stumps, India reached 141 for 6, for an overall lead of 145, with Ravindra Jadeja (who was dropped by Steve Smith at slip off Beau Webster in the day’s penultimate over) and Washington Sundar unbeaten on eight and six respectively.
On a pitch that became increasingly spicy as the day played out, Australia openers were asked to survive a torrid three-over spell from India’s chief tormentor Bumrah, and the 31-year-old led from the front with the key wicket of Usman Khawaja to wrap up the day’s proceedings.
Amid rumours of Rohit Sharma mulling at Test retirement after the completion of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series, India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday refused to clear the uncertainty over the out-of-form skipper’s participation for the fifth and final Test, starting Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
An Australia series is known to make or break careers. The Indian team’s tour Down Under in 2014 witnessed the coronation of a young Virat as ‘King Kohli’ in Australia when he slammed four hundreds to take the baby steps towards being one of the world’s greatest batters.
A 2-2 scoreline would not only be enough for the visitors to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy they have held in their hands for the past decade, but more importantly it could keep them in the race to the ICC World Test Championship final in June, 2025.
