SYDNEY – Australia on Monday powered to a memorable Boxing Day 184 runs Test win over India in fourth game of the five-match series in Sydney.
Pat Cummins’ side lead the series 2-1 as one of the previous match ended in draw. With this victory, Aussies are close in on a second consecutive appearance in the World Test Championship Final. They also aim at reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that India have held since 2017.
Australia took seven wickets after tea on day five as the fhe final Indian wicket fell with less than 14 overs remaining in the day, with Nathan Lyon dismissing Mohammed Siraj to send the MCG crowd in excess of 74,000 into raptures as an epic contest between the two arch-rivals came to an end.
The reigning ICC World Test Championship winners are in the box seat to earn a place at next year’s final at Lords.
The Aussies retain second place on the World Test Championship standings and can join South Africa in the one-off Test decider in 2025 with a win in any of their three remaining Tests this cycle.
India can still qualify for the World Test Championship Final but must win the final Test of the series against Australia in Sydney to tie the Border-Gavaskar series and then rely on the Aussies not winning a Test during their series in Sri Lanka that commences next month.
It was a strong all-round performance from Australia, with Player of the Match Pat Cummins (3/28) leading the way on the final day with a brilliant spell prior to lunch that turned the game, before Yashasvi Jaiswal (88) and Rishabh Pant (30) gave India hope with an excellent partnership of 88 for the fourth wicket, ICC reported.
Pant holed out to the unlikely source of Travis Head (1/14) to swing the momentum back towards the hosts and when Jaiswal fell in strange circumstances shortly after via the TV umpire overturning the onfield decision, the Aussies could taste victory.
Lyon (2/37), who toiled hard all day, then claimed the last wicket to bring an end to one of the best Test matches seen on Australian shores in recent times.
