Sun Jan 05 02:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Australia Wins Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Books World Test Championship Final Spot
**Sydney, Australia:** Australia clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a resounding six-wicket victory over India in the fifth and final Test match, securing their place in the World Test Championship 2025 final against South Africa. The match, played in Sydney, lasted only three days, with Australia winning the series 3-1.
Despite the series loss, Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was named Player of the Series, a remarkable achievement considering he took a record-breaking 32 wickets in the five-match series – the most by an Indian bowler in a Test series overseas, surpassing Bishan Singh Bedi’s previous record of 31 wickets. Bumrah also reached the 200-wicket milestone in his Test career during the series, becoming the fastest Indian pacer to achieve this feat.
India’s batting performance came under heavy criticism, with several senior players failing to deliver consistently. While Virat Kohli scored a century in the first Test, his overall performance was underwhelming, and he was dismissed four times by Scott Boland throughout the series. Rohit Sharma also struggled, contributing only 31 runs across five innings.
The final Test saw Bumrah leading the Indian team in Rohit Sharma’s absence due to injury. While India won the first Test under Bumrah’s captaincy, the team ultimately succumbed to Australia’s dominance in the remaining matches.
The series win marks Australia’s first Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph since 2014-15, reversing a trend that saw India winning four of the five series played since then. Overall, India now leads the head-to-head record with 10 wins to Australia’s 6, with one draw. The series saw praise heaped upon Bumrah for his exceptional bowling, with former cricketers and commentators highlighting his consistent performance and contribution to keeping the series competitive until the very end.
First Piper 