Australia beat India to reclaim Border-Gavaskar Trophy and enter WTC final

Sun Jan 05 08:09:22 UTC 2025: ## Australia Clinches Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Books WTC Final Spot

**Sydney, Australia –** Australia secured a resounding 3-1 series victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a six-wicket win in the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. The triumph marks Australia’s first series win against India in a decade and earns them a coveted spot in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.

Chasing a 162-run target, Australia weathered a spirited Indian bowling attack, with Travis Head (34*) and debutant Beau Webster (39*) guiding the hosts to victory. While India’s pace bowlers, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, dismissed four Australian top-order batsmen, including Steve Smith on 9,999 career runs, Head and Webster’s unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 58 sealed the win.

India’s captain, Jasprit Bumrah, missed Australia’s second innings due to a back injury. Bumrah, however, was named Player of the Series for his impressive 32 wickets across the five matches. Despite the loss, Bumrah praised the series’ competitiveness and the valuable experience gained by India’s younger players.

Australian captain Pat Cummins expressed immense pride in his team’s performance, highlighting the series’ seesawing nature and the joy of finally securing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He also praised the contributions of the three debutants used throughout the series and the team’s core players, many of whom had been striving for this win for years. Only Steve Smith, Nathan Lyon, and Mitchell Starc had been part of Australia’s last victorious campaign against India a decade ago. This win marked Cummins’ 20th as captain.

The match itself was a whirlwind, with 15 wickets falling on Saturday and four more on Sunday morning before lunch. The Sydney pitch remained lively, contributing to the high-octane contest. The win not only secures the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also positions Australia to defend their World Test Championship title in the upcoming final.