Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025
Batting collapse on final day sees India all out for 155, allowing Australia to take 2-1 lead
MELBOURNE: India’s hopes for the World Test Championship final took a significant hit with a 184-run defeat against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Chasing an imposing 340-run target, India was all out for just 155 on the final day, leaving them with diminished chances of progressing to the championship match.
This loss gives Australia a 2-1 lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, intensifying their pursuit of a WTC final berth. The final Test is scheduled to begin on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India’s batting collapsed dramatically on the last day, with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s commendable 84 runs going in vain after a promising partnership with Rishabh Pant. After a robust second session, the dismissal of Pant triggered a catastrophic collapse where India lost seven wickets for only 34 runs.
Australia’s dominant performance began from the very first day with the inclusion of young batting talent Sam Konstas, who made an immediate impact by smashing 60 runs from 65 balls. His explosive innings helped set the tone for Australia’s first innings, where they scored 474 runs, bolstered by Steve Smith’s 140, his 11th Test century against India, a new record.
India’s batting, in contrast, faltered in their first innings. Captain Rohit Sharma’s decision to open the innings backfired as early wickets put them in a tight spot at 51/2. Jaiswal and Virat Kohli’s partnership revived hopes, but a mix-up led to Jaiswal’s dismissal after a well-fought 82. Eventually, India finished their innings at 369.
The second innings began poorly for India, losing three quick wickets and slipping to 33/3. Jaiswal and Pant attempted to rebuild with an 88-run partnership, but once Pant fell to a backfoot pull shot, the rest of the batting lineup collapsed.
Despite bowling efforts from Jasprit Bumrah, who became the only bowler in Test history with over 200 wickets at an average below 20, the Indian team could not capitalize on opportunities as they dropped several catches during Australia’s second innings.
The Test ended with India suffering a humbling defeat, now leaving them in a precarious position regarding their World Test Championship hopes. As Australia celebrates, India must regroup quickly before the final Test at Sydney next week, searching for solutions to their top-order batting failures.
Agencies