India began the third day of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series with the intention of utilising a platform that had been set up the day before. The strategy was derailed by Scott Boland (6 for 45), however, and India was only able to increase their overnight score of 145/6 by 16 runs.
With Sam Konstas leading the attack against the new ball, Australia blasted away at the modest mark of 162, preventing India captain Jasprit Bumrah from returning to bowl. Prasidh Krishna (3 for 65) caused Australia to have a mini-collapse, but Usman Khawaja (41 off 45), Beau Webster (39* off 34), and Travis Head (34* off 38) kept the innings steady enough to earn Australia a six-wicket victory.
Australia’s forthcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka will be a rubber in terms of the World Test Championship,
as they are now the second team after South Africa to qualify for the final of the 2023–25 cycle.
Here are the stats higlights from the day:
1 – Scott Boland‘s bowling average of 17.67 is the best for any bowler with a minimum of 50 Test wickets to have debuted after World War I. It is also the second-best of any bowler to have debuted after 1900 with the same criteria.
9999 – The number of career runs Steve Smith had when he was dismissed in Australia’s second innings. He is now the third batsman – after Brian Lara and Mahela Jayawardene – to get out in Test cricket with his career runs in the 9990’s and the second one – after Jayawardene – to get out with his career runs on 9999. Smith had 9995 Test career runs after his dismissal in the first innings, which means that he is also the only player to get out with his career runs in the 9990’s twice.
1 – This Test marked the first time that a fourth innings chase had been successfully completed in Test matches between Australia and India in Sydney.
2014/15 – The last time Australia had won a Test series against India. Australia won the four-match series 2-0 on that occasion.
4 – The number of Test series India won against Australia in a row before losing this one. All four of these series were four-match series that India won by an identical 2-1 margin.
2011/12 – The last time Australia won three matches in a Test series against India. Australia had gone on to complete a 4-0 whitewash in that series.
2012 – The last time that India lost a Test at the SCG. India got away with draws in 2015, 2019 and 2021 before the loss in 2024-25.
7 – Alongside being the defending WTC Champions and currently being ranked No.1 Test team, Australia hold all seven perpetual bilateral trophies that they compete for in Test cricket. The trophies are – The Ashes, The Frank Worrell Trophy, The Trans-Tasman Trophy, The Border-Gavaskar Trophy, The Southern Cross Trophy, The Warne-Muralitharan Trophy and the Benaud-Qadir Trophy.
1 – Jasprit Bumrah is now the only Indian player to have won Man of the Series Awards in Tests in all three of England, South Africa and Australia.
1 – Jasprit Bumrah has the joint-most Player of the Series Awards in SENA countries in Tests, having won his third award in this BGT. Rahuld Dravid also won three Player of the Series Awards – two in England and one in Australia.
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