- Monday, March 10, 2025
Scott Boland led the way with four for 31 as Australia’s bowlers revelled in seam-friendly conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground
By: India Weekly
INDIA dropped skipper Rohit Sharma but their batting woes continued as they were dismissed for 185 on the opening day of the fifth and final test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
Scott Boland led the way with four for 31 as Australia’s bowlers revelled in seam-friendly conditions to restrict India’s scoring and knock over wickets with a regularity that delighted a sellout crowd of 48,000.
Only the suspicion of what Jasprit Bumrah, the outstanding bowler of the series and Rohit’s replacement as captain, might do on the surface constrained the joy of home fans packed into the famous old ground.
They got a hint from the last ball of the three overs India managed to bowl at Australia before the close of play when Bumrah dismissed Usman Khawaja for two.
Teenager Sam Konstas, who had a brief altercation with Bumrah just before Khawaja’s departure, will resume on day two on seven not out with Australia nine for one.
Australia lead the series 2-1 and will win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and a place in the World Test Championship final against South Africa with a victory in the finale.
“I thought all the bowlers were really good today. To bowl them out for under 200 was an excellent day for the bowlers,” said Australia’s debutant all-rounder Beau Webster.
“(But) I’m not really sure what a good score is just yet, until both teams bat on it.”
Boland precipitated the end of India’s laboured innings early in the final session when he had Rishabh Pant caught at mid-on for 40 and dismissed Melbourne centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy off consecutive balls.
Washington Sundar was beaten by Boland’s hat-trick ball without making contact with it but Ravindra Jadeja was soon trapped plumb in front by Mitchell Starc (3-49) for 26 to leave India reeling on 134-7.
Sundar was unfortunate to depart for 14 when a TV review detected a brush of his glove on a Pat Cummins delivery and Bumrah wagged the tail with 22 runs from 17 balls before the Australia skipper had him caught at mid-wicket to end the innings.
Pant said he would have been happier with 40 or 50 more runs but felt that India’s score was not that far from par on a tricky wicket.
“It’s still a very competitive score, because of the way ball is moving now,” he told reporters. “I think there’s lot of help for the bowler, and hopefully we can capitalise on that.
India on back foot
India could still retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a victory but looked on the back foot from the moment Bumrah won the toss and sent his team into bat.
Cummins said he would have done the same but the paceman was still licking his lips at the greenish tinge on the wicket and the leaden skies above Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
The tourists had 11 runs on the board when Rahul departed for four and only six more when Jaiswal, on 10, was caught in the slips off Boland.
Boland thought he had Virat Kohli out for a golden duck off the next delivery but the roars of the sellout crowd turned to jeers when it was ruled the ball had kissed the grass as Steve Smith flicked it up for Marnus Labuschagne to catch.
Cummins tossed the ball to Nathan Lyon for the last over before lunch and the spinner removed Shubman Gill, Rohit’s batting replacement, for 20 with an edge into the busy slip cordon.
Kohli had scored 17 runs from 69 balls when he became Boland’s second victim with a stab at a delivery outside off which Webster collected with a fine diving catch in the slips.
Bumrah said at the toss that Rohit’s absence from the team was the 37-year-old’s own choice.
“Our captain has shown leadership by opting to rest in this game,” he said.
Rohit’s lean patch
The year 2024 turned out to be the least productive year for Rohit in Test cricket as he collected 619 runs in 26 innings across 14 matches averaging 24.76.
Having played his 67th five-day game in Melbourne, Rohit is also being expected to call time on his roller-coaster Test career soon.
Rohit could not replicate his stellar success in white ball cricket over the course of his 11-year Test career.
After not realising his potential in the middle-order following his debut in 2013, Rohit’s red ball career got a second wing in 2019 when he started opening.
Last year Rohit guided India to a much-awaited T20 World Cup title but his performances dropped drastically in the traditional format.
His longtime teammate and former captain Virat Kohli is also facing criticism for his repeated dismissals outside the off-stump in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy thus far.
Record turnout
A record-breaking 47,566 spectators packed the stands on day one of the fifth India-Australia Test on Friday, marking it the highest-ever opening day attendance for a Test match between the two teams at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Australian public continued to turn out in large numbers for the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
“The records keep on falling. Over 45,000 through the gates of the Sydney Cricket Ground on Day 1,” Cricket Australia tweeted.
This new mark comes just days after the all-time attendance record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was smashed earlier in the series.
By lunchtime on day one, 45,465 spectators were already present at the SCG, surpassing the previous record of 44,901 set during the 2003/04 series.
Cricket Australia also noted that this was the largest crowd turnout at the SCG for a Test in nearly 50 years, dating back to 1976. (Agencies)
