AUS vs IND 2024/25, AUS vs IND 5th test match preview

On By Littum

Big picture: SCG showdown to decide Border-Gavaskar Trophy

From day one, 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 ends, 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.

India have struggled to score first-innings runs – 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 play catch-up constantly in Australia. However, Sydney is a place they can enjoy. The SCG is not quite the batting paradise it used to be when India declared 705 here in 2003, but it still offers 34.85 per over. wicket, which is better than any other pitch in Australia over the last three years. That might be one of the reasons why Australia is bringing in bowling reinforcements. The short turnaround between Boxing Day and New Year’s exams is another. Beau Webster makes his Test debut in place of Mitchell Marsh.

For a while, it looked like India might 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 they seem to be doing well. Jaiswal is India’s highest scorer in the series. Nitish Kumar Reddy produced their best moment. Akash Deep has won the admiration of Steven Smith, but he is out of the Sydney Test with a bad back. India’s vulnerabilities lie elsewhere.

Form guide

Australia: WDWLW (last five completed games, most recent first)
India: LDLWL

In the spotlight: Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins

Will Sydney be the last of Rohit Sharma in test cricket or is he done already? India’s win in Perth came without him. He tried not to disrupt their momentum by moving down to the middle order, but then felt it wasn’t working well enough. With not enough runs behind him, his on-field decisions backfiring and India’s next Test not until June 2025, by which time Rohit will be 38, it feels like the end of something. He batted in the nets on Thursday and only faced dropouts, which is also what he did ahead of the Melbourne Test.

If this series didn’t have Jasprit Bumrah in it, Pat Cummins would be its best bowler. After a wayward start in Perth, he looked pumped in Adelaide, keeping alive the rich tradition of fast bowlers and their nerve-racking celebrations. He was Player of the Match in Melbourne for his contribution with the bat as well. A win on his home ground in front of what is expected to be a record crowd again to secure a place in the World Test Championship final would be the perfect way to end the season for Cummins.

Team News: Webster in; Akash out

Mitchell Starc will play in Sydney while he deals with a side/rib complaint. Webster, who bats right-handed and bowls both between pace and offspin, becomes the third debutant for Australia in this 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 took 30 wickets at 29.30.

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

With Akash ruled out with a stiff back, India will have to pare down their bowling attack, with either Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana set to replace him. There also seem to be changes in the batting line-up, with Gill receiving direct attention from Gambhir, who gave him the downs. Jurel also seems a chance to make the XI with Washington Sundar possibly sitting out.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt)/Shubman Gill, 2 Yashasvi 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 Mohammed Siraj

Pitch and Conditions: A good cricket wicket

One day out from the test match, there was some grass on the SCG pitch. The feedback Cummins has received about it from the two Shield matches that have taken place here this season is that it has been a “good cricket wicket”, with enough in it for the bowlers, especially that there is a bit more pace at that. The weather for the start of the test is expected to be clear, although there is some rain forecast for the last two days.

Statistics and trivia

  • Steven Smith is 38 short of 10,000 Test runs. He joins Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as the only Australians to reach the mark. He will be the second fastest among them, behind Ponting on 196 innings, if he gets there in Sydney.

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

    • Quotes

    “If somebody had said 40-45 days ago we’d be in this situation, that we can come to Sydney and draw this series, it’s a good position to be in.”
    India is coaching Gautam Gambhir

    “You go into every Test trying to win, so this week is no different. Really happy with the last three Tests, how the boys have played. We’ve shown to most people that we’ve been the front runners, that’s the aim again this week, keep going.”
    Australia’s captain Pat Cummins

    Alagappan Muthu is the sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo