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.
The Border-Gavaskar series is tantalisingly poised at 1-1 with both India and Australia having shown the promise and flaws to head into the fabled Gabba for the third Test, starting in Brisbane from Saturday.
Hazlewood, who missed the day-night Test in Adelaide with a side strain, proved his fitness under the scorching Queensland sun alongside his longtime partner-in-crime Mitchell Starc, as the duo fired in unison under the watchful eyes of bowling coach Daniel Vettori.
In a massive relief for Indian cricket fans ahead of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Brisbane, starting Saturday, star quick Jasprit Bumrah shrugged off any injury concerns and completed a full warm-up with his teammates on Thursday before bowling in their main training session.
Playing his debut series, Nathan McSweeney has fallen to Jasprit Bumrah thrice in four innings during the first two Tests in Perth and Adelaide, but the rookie Australian opener is relishing the challenge of facing the Indian ace early in his career, and is confident he can “throw a few more punches” at Bumrah in the third Test, beginning at the Gabba from Saturday.
Over the past couple of years, the Gabba, once the fortress of the Australians, hasn’t yielded the desired outcome for the home side, especially when India broke the 32-year hegemony with a series-defining victory in 2021.
