IND vs AUS fifth Test: Decisive Sydney Test heads for exciting finish after Pant’s breathtaking fifty

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is at its tipping point. Having commenced at Perth on November 22, the sporting caravan is now stationed 3,290 kilometres away at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and a feverish climax is due.

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The fifth and final Test’s second day witnessed the fall of 15 wickets as pacers found their mark on a surface that nodded in approval. At close on Saturday (January 4, 2025), India scored 141 for six in its second innings and leads by 145.

After bowling out Australia for 181 in the first innings, and snatching a four-run margin, the visitors lapsed into a top-order slump before Rishabh Pant emerged with all guns blazing. Prior to him, a similar vein was exhibited by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who carved 16 from Mitchell Starc’s opening over.

K.L. Rahul too pulled one over fine-leg and just as India galloped, Scott Boland castled the former. The speedster then dismantled Jaiswal’s timber and Virat Kohli walked into boos from a section of the audience. He returned to the pavilion after a while but this time the audience stood up to applaud a great batter, who perhaps may have played his last Test innings in Australia.

Kohli’s weakness exposed once again

The fetish to fish outside the off-stump consumed Kohli again and Boland was on target. Next man Pant greeted Boland with a six and when Shubman Gill tried to emulate, he fell to Beau Webster. Ravindra Jadeja joined forces with Pant, whose buccaneering ways continued. A pick-up six off Starc over square-leg was outstanding.

When the southpaw (61 from 33 balls) fell to Pat Cummins, a period of dormancy followed. Nitish Kumar succumbed to the relentless Boland and when stumps were drawn, Jadeja and Washington Sundar were at the crease.

Earlier, in the middle session, Australia leant on Webster. The debutant drove and pulled to good effect. His partner Alex Carey clipped some fours while India coped with Jasprit Bumrah’s absence as the skipper left the venue for some precautionary scans.

This was an opportunity for the support-cast to deliver and they did as Prasidh Krishna cleaned up Carey with one that homed into the stumps. Webster, meanwhile, got to his 50 but Cummins was ambushed by Nitish. The fourth seamer drew the edge and India’s stand-in captain Kohli took a sharp catch.

In his next over, Nitish dismissed Starc. And once Prasidh accounted for Webster and Mohammed Siraj slipped one through Boland’s gate, it capped a remarkable bowling and fielding effort by the Indians, with Kohli, Rahul and Jaiswal, being splendid.

In the morning, Bumrah scalped Marnus Labuschagne and India gained its booster dose. Sam Konstas lofted and scooped Bumrah but failed to resist Siraj outside the off-stump. In the same over, the seamer prised out Travis Head.

Australia 39 for four and in trouble. Steve Smith, though, batted fluently, and found an ally in Webster. However, Smith poked at a Prasidh delivery and Rahul exulted at second slip. At the break, the host scored 101 for five, and the rest of the day veered slightly towards India.

The scores:

India: 1st innings: 185 all out in 72.2 overs.

Australia 1st innings: Sam Konstas c Jaiswal b Siraj 23 (38b, 3x4), Usman Khwaja c Rahul b Bumrah 2 (10b), Marnus Labuschagne c Pant b Bumrah 2 (8b), Steve Smith c Rahul b Prasidh 33 (57b, 4x4, 1x6), Travis Head c Rahul b Siraj 4 (3b, 1x4), Beau Webster c Jaiswal b Prasidh 57 (105b, 5x4), Alex Carey b Prasidh 21 (36b, 4x4), Pat Cummins c Kohli b Nitish 10 (20b, 1x4), Mitchell Starc c Rahul b Nitish 1 (4b), Nathan Lyon (not out) 7 (17b, 1x4), Scott Boland b Siraj 9 (9b, 2x4). Extras (b-9, lb-2, nb-1): 12; Total (all out in 51 overs): 181.

Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Khawaja, 2.6 overs), 2-15 (Labuschagne, 6.2), 3-35 (Konstas, 11.2), 4-39 (Head, 11.5), 5-96 (Smith, 27.1), 6-137 (Carey, 37.5), 7-162 (Cummins, 44.6), 8-164 (Starc, 46.1), 9-166 (Webster, 47.2).

India bowling: Bumrah 10-1-33-2, Siraj 16-2-51-3, Prasidh 15-3-42-3, Nitish 7-0-32-2, Jadeja 3-0-12-0.

India: 2nd innings: Yashasvi Jaiswal b Boland 22 (35b, 4x4), K.L. Rahul b Boland 13 (20b, 2x4), Shubman Gill c Carey b Webster 13 (15b, 2x4), Virat Kohli c Smith b Boland 6 (12b, 1x4), Rishabh Pant c Carey b Cummins 61 (33b, 6x4, 4x6), Ravindra Jadeja (batting) 8 (39b, 1x4), Nitish Kumar c Cummins b Boland 4 (21b), Washington Sundar (batting) 6 (17b). Extras (b-4, lb-4): 8; Total (for six wkts., in 31 overs): 141 (at close of Day 2)

Fall of wickets: 1-42 (Rahul, 7.3 overs), 2-47 (Jaiswal, 9.5), 3-59 (Kohli, 13.1), 4-78 (Gill, 15.2), 5-124 (Pant, 22.2), 6-129 (Nitish, 27.3).

Australia bowling: Starc 4-0-36-0, Cummins 11-4-31-1, Boland 13-3-42-4, Webster 4-1-24-1.

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