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.
In the context of the series and the ICC World Test Championship, the final hour of play on Day 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground could prove pivotal for India's fortunes.
India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, however, thinks that the duo’s return to their best is a matter of regaining confidence and composure in the initial phase of their innings.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli has been docked 20 per cent of his match fee and awarded one demerit point for his heated exchange with Australia debutant Sam Konstas on the opening day of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.
It seemed that the Christmas break infused new life into the Australian top order that fired in unison on return to action in the fourth round of the Border-Gavaskar tussle on Boxing Day, helping the hosts pile up 311 for 6 even as late strikes helped India share the honours after the opening day’s play at the jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has achieved the joint-highest rating ever by an Indian player, equalling the record rating points held by recently-retired spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, and the 31-year-old has the chance of going one better during the upcoming Melbourne Test.
