AUS vs IND 2024/25, AUS vs IND 5th Test Match Preview

Big picture: SCG showdown to decide Border-Gavaskar Trophy

From that first day when 17 wickets fell in Perth, the intrigue started Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Even a rain-damaged game in Brisbane threw up something unexpected – sudden retirement. Now coming to the end of a hard-fought, highly entertaining series, Australia have a chance to cement their legacy – the reigning ODI and Test world champions have a hand on a trophy that has eluded them for 10 years – and India still have a chance to deny them .

There have been reports of conflict within India’s ranks. captain Rohit Sharma is therefore short on runs His place in the team does not look good. Coach Gautam Gambhir did not confirm whether Rohit would be in the XI, which created a very different feeling in India’s build-up. The man who was dropped to make his way up the order was the opener in the nets, Shubman Gill, and the man who did not practice with the first XI, Dhruv Jurel, was the last man to depart. If this is any indication that they might make the XI, someone currently in there will have to go out. Is Rohit going out?

India have struggled to score runs in the first innings – their average of 22.40 is their seventh-lowest in a season in which they have played at least five Tests – and have had to constantly play catch-up in Australia. Sydney is a place they can enjoy. The SCG is not the batting paradise it once was when India declared for 705 here in 2003, but it is still offering 34.85 per wicket, better than any other ground in Australia in the last three years. This could be a reason for strengthening Australia’s bowling. The short change between Boxing Day and the New Year’s Test is another. Beau Webster will make his Test debut In place of Mitchell Marsh.

For a while it looked like India would escape the MCG with a draw. Yasshwi Jaiswal once again proved India’s best batsman. At the end of that game, Rohit said the juniors still had a bit to learn about Test cricket, but seemed to be doing well. Jaiswal is the highest scorer in the series for India. Nitish Kumar Reddy created their best moments. Akash Deep won praise from Steven Smith, but was ruled out of the Sydney Test with a bad back. India’s weakness lies elsewhere.

Form Guide

Australia: WDWLW (last five complete matches, most recent first)
India: LDLWL

In the spotlight: Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins

Sydney will end Rohit Sharma Test cricket or he has already finished? India win in Perth without him. He tried not to upset their momentum by dropping himself into the middle order but then felt it wasn’t working well enough. With not enough runs behind him, his on-field decisions are backfiring, and with India’s next Test not until June 2025, when Rohit will be 38, it looks like the end of things. He batted in the nets on Thursday, only to face a throwdown, which he also did before the Melbourne Test.

Had it not been for Jasprit Bumrah in this series, Pat Cummins He will be the best bowler. After a torrid start in Perth, he looked fired up in Adelaide, keeping alive the fast bowlers’ rich heritage and their nerve-popping celebrations. He was man of the match in Melbourne for his contribution with the bat. A win on his home ground in front of a record crowd would be the perfect way to end the season for Cummins to secure a place in the final of the World Test Championship.

Team News: Webster Inn; sky out

Mitchell Starc will play in Sydney while nursing a side/rib complaint. Webster, who bats right-handed and bowls both medium pace and offspin, will make his third debut for Australia in the series after Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas. He was the top scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season with 938 runs at 58.62 and 30 wickets at 29.30.

Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Constance, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), 8 Pat Cummins (captain), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Nathan Lyon

With Akash out along with the strong back, India will have to revamp their bowling attack, with either Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana replacing him. A change in the batting line-up seemed to have Gill receiving direct attention from Gambhir, who gave him a throwdown. Jurrell also looks like a shout for a place in the playing XI with Washington Sunder.

India (Probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (captain)/Shubman Gill, 2 Yashwi Jaiswal, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9 Prasidh Krishna/Harshit Rana, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohd Siraj

Pitch and Condition: A good cricket wicket

One day out of the Test match, there was some grass on the SCG pitch. The feedback Cummins has received from the two Shield matches played here this season is that it is a “good cricket wicket”, good enough for the bowlers, especially because it has a bit more pace. The weather for the start of the Test is expected to be clear, though some rain is forecast for the last two days.

Statistics and trivia

Steven Smith is 38 runs short 10,000 test runs. He will join Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as the only Australians to achieve the mark. He would be the second fastest among them after Ponting’s 196 innings in Sydney.

Sydney may be his home ground but Starc’s record here is equal: he has 24 wickets in nine Tests at an average of 44.16.

quote

If someone had said 40-45 days ago that we would be in this situation, that we could come to Sydney and draw this series, that is a good position.
Indian coach Gautam is serious

You try to win every Test so this week is no different. Really happy with the last three Tests, the way the boys have played, we’ve shown in most cases that we’re up front, that’s the aim again this week, keep it up.
Australian captain Pat Cummins

Algappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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