India hit more sixes, but unlike in the past, they scored lower in playing out time and stitching fifty-run stands

Australia’s star batter of a generation Steve Smith fell just short of an illustrious career milestone and a Jasprit Bumrah-led India took the advantage on the second day of the fifth and final test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The victory also means the hosts booked their spot in a second straight World Test Championship final where it will play the already-qualified South Africa at Lord’s in June.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke backed struggling Virat Kohli ahead of Champions Trophy 2025 which will take place in February.

India's 3-1 defeat in Australia exposed the fragility of their top order, but equally unmissable was how much they rely on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who gave it all until he broke down in the series finale in Sydney.

Credit: Albert Perez - CA/Cricket Australia via The festive season is over, but there is no need to be down about the prospect of normality returning. The final Test match in the series between Australia and India is here to brighten the moods of fans around the world.

Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a defiant maiden century, as India fought back to reach 358/9 on a rain-hit third day of the fourth test against Australia. Rising all-rounder Reddy was applauded off the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 105 not out after rain ended play for the day midway through the final session.

Team India will switch focus to the limited-overs formats after the conclusion of a forgettable Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. Limited-overs series against England, and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will now be the focus for Rohit Sharm and Co.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy was the most challenging Test series for batters in Australia in recent times. The batting average of 24.32 is the lowest of 38 Test series of three or more matches in Australia since the Australia-Pakistan series in November-December 1995.

The hyped Australia-India Test series was a commercial success but it was a bittersweet feeling for smaller cricket nations unable to regularly play the expensive format.

The loss not only cost India the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also denied them a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, breaking their streak of back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2023, where they lost to New Zealand and Australia respectively.