Australia (AUS) and India (IND) will lock horns in the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from Friday, January 3, to be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), in Sydney. The hosts went 2-1 in the series after their win in Melbourne. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 has had a lot of twists and turns so far, and now it all comes down to the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) starting Friday, January 3. With Australia leading the series 2-1, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The hosts Australia took an unassailable lead of 2-1 by securing victory in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. India needs a miracle to turn things around, while Australia has one hand on the trophy and a foot in the World Test Championship final.
AUS vs IND : Previous Performances
India won the first Test convincingly in Perth by 295 runs and had a bright start to the series. However, Australia bounced back in the following pink-ball Test in Adelaide to level the series. The third Test in Brisbane turned out to be a rain-affected contest which eventually ended in a draw. The Boxing Day Test which India has won in their last two visits on the Australian shores, saw them suffer a disappointing 184-run defeat, giving the hosts a lead for the first time in this series.
Despite impressive performances from Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Washington Sundar, the visitors failed to save the fourth Test match as they lost seven wickets for just 34 runs in the final session on Day 5.
On the flip side, Steve Smith struck a century, and the hosts’ top-order batters, Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, and Marnus Labuschagne, scored half-centuries. Among notable bowling performances, Skipper Pat Cummins claimed a six-wicket haul, besides contributing with the bat as well in both innings to win their first-ever Boxing Day Test match against India since 2011.
With the series moving to its last phase, this match is their only hope to secure a place in the World Test Championship final. Currently, at the third spot with 114 points and a PCT of 52.78, the Rohit Sharma-led side will face a must-win scenario in Sydney.
While Team India squandered the chance to grab the series, Rohit Sharma and his men still have plenty to play for in the Sydney Test match. Firstly, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is still with the nation, and secondly, the Indian side is still in contention for the 2025 WTC final spot.
However, to retain the trophy and to keep their chances of reaching the WTC final alive, the Sydney Test is a must-win game for the visitors. Besides, they will then hope that their Asian counterparts in Sri Lanka ensure to win their Tests at home against Australia, to hand a chance to India for a WTC final berth.
With this being their last Test series of this WTC cycle, India’s chances are narrow as Australia is ahead of them and still has a two-match Test series left to be played against Sri Lanka. If the Aussies manage to win the Sydney Test they not only lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also find a place in the WTC final for the second time in a row.
While the final tussle is to start, the Australian side will aim to claim another memorable win to end their series drought against India in their own backyard. While Rohit Sharma and co. will hope to retain the series with a comeback victory.
AUS vs IND : Head to Head
Historically in Tests between these two teams: 111 matches have been played with India winning 33 times and Australia 47 times; 30 matches ended in draws.
| Matches Played | 111 |
| Won by Australia | 47 |
| Won by India | 33 |
| Drawn / No Result | 30 |
| Tied | 01 |
| First-ever Fixture | November 28–December 02, 1947 |
| Most-recent Fixture | December 26-30, 2024 |
AUS vs IND : Pitch Report
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a batting-friendly surface early on and provides consistent bounce and favours the batters, but as the match progresses, spinners are likely to dominate. This venue, one of Australia’s few spin-friendly grounds, has an average first-innings score of 318. The weather could play a crucial role, with hot conditions expected for the first four days and rain likely on Day 5.
The SCG pitch promises to assist pacers, especially early on. The curator has teased a green-top with a hint of moisture, which means the quicks will be licking their lips. Batters will need to dig in and survive the initial storm before the pitch eases out. The numbers speak for themselves. The average first-innings score here is 318, and teams batting first have won 47 out of 114 Tests. With rain expected on the final two days, the toss will be crucial. The team winning it will likely bat first to take full advantage of the conditions.
A day out from the Test match, there was a bit of grass on the SCG pitch. The feedback Cummins has received about it from the two Shield games that took place here this season is that it’s been a “good cricket wicket”, with enough in it for the bowlers, particularly that there’s a bit more pace in it. The weather for the start of the Test is expected to be clear, although there is some rain forecast on the final two days.
AUS vs IND : Big Picture : SCG showdown to decide Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia
From that first day , when 17 wickets fell in Perth, there has been intrigue in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Even the game ruined by rain in Brisbane threw up something unexpected – a sudden retirement. Now as a hard fought, highly entertaining series comes to an end, Australia have the chance to cement their legacy – the reigning ODI and Test world champions have one hand on a trophy that has eluded them for 10 years – and India still have the chance to deny them.
There were reports of friction inside India’s ranks. The captain Rohit Sharma is so short of runs his place in the team isn’t looking so good. The coach Gautam Gambhir did not confirm if Rohit would be in the XI, which created a very different feel to the India’s build-up.
The man who was dropped to make way for his move up the order had was in early at the nets, Shubman Gill, and someone who hasn’t been training alongside the first XI, Dhruv Jurel, was the last man to leave. If that’s an indication that they might make the XI, someone who is currently in there might need to go out. Is Rohit going out.
India have been struggling to score first-innings runs – their average of 22.40 is their seventh-lowest in a season where they’ve played at least five Tests – and have had to play catch-up constantly in Australia. Sydney is a place they might enjoy though.
The SCG isn’t quite the batting paradise it used to be, like when India declared on 705 here in 2003, but it is still offering 34.85 per wicket which is better than any other ground in Australia over the last three years. That could be one of the reasons Australia are bringing in bowling reinforcements. The short turnaround between the Boxing Day and the New Year’s Tests is another. Beau Webster will be making his Test debut in place of Mitchell Marsh.
For a while it looked like India might be able to escape the MCG with a draw. Yashasvi Jaiswal once again proved to be India’s best batter. At the end of that game, Rohit said the juniors still had a bit to learn about Test cricket, but it seems like they’re doing alright. Jaiswal is India’s highest scorer of the series. Nitish Kumar Reddy produced their best moment. Akash Deep has won Steven Smith’s admiration, but he’s out of the Sydney Test with a bad back. India’s vulnerabilities lie elsewhere.
AUS vs IND : Vital Stats that matters
- Steven Smith is 38 short of 10000 Test Runs He will join Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as the only Australians to have got to the mark. He’ll be the second fastest among them, behind Ponting in 196 innings, if he gets there in Sydney.
- Sydney might be his home ground but Starc’s record here is under par: he has 24 wickets in nine Tests at an average of 44.16.
- History isn’t on India’s side as they look to draw the series. They have won only one out of 13 Tests at the SCG.
AUS vs IND : Team News
Australia : Australia Smell Blood vs India at Sydney
Australia, meanwhile, have been playing like a well-oiled machine since their shock loss in Perth. They have been the better team by a country mile, and the 2-1 lead reflects that dominance.
Sam Konstas announced himself in style during the Boxing Day Test, batting with flamboyance and aggression. Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are back in form, which spells trouble for India. Usman Khawaja, though, has been Australia’s weak link, and he’ll need to step up at the SCG.
Mitchell Starc will play in Sydney while managing a side/rib complaint. Webster, who bats right-handed and bowls both medium pace and offspin, will be the third debutant for Australia in this series after Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas. He was the highest scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season with 938 runs at 58.62 and took 30 wickets at 29.30.
With Mitchell Marsh dropped, Beau Webster is set to make his Test debut. Webster’s all-round skills could be the cherry on top of Australia’s already impressive lineup. The bowling attack, led by Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, and Nathan Lyon, has been firing on all cylinders, and Mitchell Starc has been declared fit to play despite battling a rib niggle.
Australia Confirmed Playing XI :Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk.), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India : India’s Backs Against The Wall
India came roaring out of the gates in Perth, smashing Australia to take an early lead in the series. But since then, it’s been a downward spiral. Losses in Adelaide and Melbourne, and a draw in Brisbane, have left the visitors in an abysmal position.
To make matters worse, murmurs of a rift in the camp have been floating around. With their backs to the wall, the big guns Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant—need to step up. Rohit and Kohli have been far from their best, and Pant has struggled to find his rhythm. If ever there was a time for these stars to shine, it’s now.
India who are trailing in the series will leave no stone unturned to level the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ahead of the final Test, coach Gautam Gambhir revealed that pacer Akash Deep will miss the next Test due to a stiff back which means, the side might see a return of Harshit Rana as the third seamer or might go for Prasidh Krishna.
Skipper Rohit Sharma who has been facing huge criticism for his form, might look to bench himself and make a place for Shubman Gill at the top. The visitors might also include Dhruv Jurel in place of Washington Sundar to lengthen their batting.
With Akash ruled out with a stiff back, India will have to rejig their bowling attack, with either Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana set to replace him. There appear to be changes in batting line-up as well with Gill receiving direct attention from Gambhir, who gave him throwdowns. Jurel also seems like a shout to make the XI with Washington Sundar possibly sitting out.
Adding to the pressure is the absence of Akash Deep, who’s been ruled out. Harshit Rana is likely to slot in, joining Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the pace attack. The trio will have to hit the ground running if India is to stand any chance of levelling the series and retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India’s Probable Playing XI : Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk.), KL Rahul, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah(c), Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Dhruv Jurel
AUS vs IND Fantasy XI : KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
AUS vs IND : Players in the spotlight
Travis Head :
Aussie star batter Travis Head has been in red hot with his form with the bat at the top-order of the series. The left-handed batter has made 410 runs in the last four Test matches and would be looking to maintain his form heading to the final Test match in Sydney. The star batter is one of the player to watch out for in the series and he will be looking to thwart Team India in this game to win the series 3-1.
Jasprit Bumrah :
Team India’s star bowler Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 30 wickets from the last four Test matches and will be looking to pose big threat to hosts to help India level up the series 2-2 against Aussies. The right-arm pacer has been the most lethal bowler and one of the players to watch out for from the India camp. The 31-year-old cricketer is the game changer and the match-winner, posses the ability to help India wins the matches single-handedly.
AUS vs IND : Match Prediction
Australia are clear favourites to win the fifth Test at the SCG. They have been the better team all series, leading 2-1, and their batters and bowlers are in top form. With India struggling and key players out of sync, the Aussies are definitely the favorites on the green SCG pitch. However India has one last chance to salvage pride and atleast bring the Border Gavaskar Trophy home by draw levelling the series 2-2.