Australia clinched a thrilling victory in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, chasing down a target of 162 runs to win by six wickets and regain the bilateral series after nearly a decade. The win not only completes a 3-1 series wrap but also takes Pat Cummins’ side to another World Test Championship Final.
India’s batting woes in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy continued to haunt them, as they managed just 185 in the first innings, with Rishabh Pant top-scoring with a gritty 40. In the second innings, India faltered again, managing only 157 runs with Pant (61) the hero again.
Australia’s first-innings effort of 181 highlighted the difficulty of the pitch. Chasing 162 for victory, Australia had early jitters with Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Konstas failing to add much to the scoreboard. However, Jasprit Bumrah’s absence was felt immensely as Beau Websters and Travis Head carried their side home.
The win not only sealed the BGT for the hosts but sees them reach the WTC Final against South Africa. Here is how the things stand in the table
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | Ded | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa (Q) | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 88 | 66.67 |
| 2 | Australia (Q) | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 130 | 63.73 |
| 3 | India | 19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 114 | 50.00 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 81 | 48.21 |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 45.45 |
| 6 | England | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 22 | 114 | 43.18 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 31.25 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 30.30 |
| 9 | West Indies | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 24.24 |
Australia will look to carry this momentum into the upcoming series against Sri Lanka as they prepare for a WTC Final while India faces a tough regrouping phase ahead of their next assignments.
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