As Pat Cummins’ men celebrated lifting the coveted trophy, disappointment was palpable among the Indian players and fans at the SCG.
India’s preparations began on a shaky note, with a 3-0 loss to New Zealand in the home series, severely denting their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final for the third consecutive year. And with the series loss to Australia, it has been confirmed that tickets for June’s Lord’s will not be booked.
So what went wrong for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy?
Batting became cropper
The batting didn’t go well – that’s the main reason for India’s lackluster performance in the series. The poor performance of India’s batting line-up was the main reason for their poor performance in the series. Remarkably, India failed to cross the 200-run mark in seven innings throughout the series.
In the first Test in Perth, the team was bowled out for just 150 in the first innings. However, thanks to the performances of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli in the second innings, India achieved a huge victory of 295 runs and hopes were high for a successful season.
However, his batting weaknesses were once again exposed in the second Test in Adelaide. India collapsed in both innings, scoring 180 and 150 respectively, losing by 10 wickets.
India showed resilience in the MCG Test, defeating Australia for 474 and replying with 369 thanks to Nitish Reddy’s determined century. Chasing 340 points in the final innings, the Indian batting line-up slumped again. Eight batters, including three ducks, were sent off for scoring in single digits. India were bowled out for 155 and lost by 184 runs, giving Australia a 2-1 series lead.
The SCG Test was a must-win for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and stay in contention for a place in the World Test Championship finals. However, the batting lineup once again slumped and failed to score more than 200 points in both innings. This gave Australia a six-wicket win, the series trophy and a place in the WTC finals.
India’s inability to produce a consistent batting performance proved to be their failure in this crucial series.
Bumrah – One man army
When India took to the field to defend a modest target of 162 runs, they were without star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah, sidelined with back spasms, sat in the dugout, visibly frustrated at missing out on the chance to conquer the tricky, bouncy course. His absence was deeply felt as Australia won in just 27 overs, reclaiming the series for the first time in a decade.
“It was really frustrating but sometimes you have to respect your body and you can’t fight it. It was disappointing. I probably missed the spiciest wicket of the series,” Bumrah said at the post-match presentation. I looked back. Despite the injury, Bumrah finished the series as the highest wicket-taker with 32 scalps.
Throughout the series, Bumrah bowled 151.2 overs (908 deliveries) and showed remarkable consistency. His impressive series average of 13.06 and economy rate of 2.77 highlighted his effectiveness, while his best figures of 6/76 highlighted his dominance.
However, the enormous workload raised questions about the limits of his physical strength. At 31, Bumrah remains the linchpin of India’s bowling attack and is often called upon on a daily basis to make an impact with both ball and bat. His brilliance throughout the series was undeniable, highlighted by his absence in the final stages.
VIRAT off-stamp problem
Virat Kohli, once praised for countering Australia’s attacks with flair, ease and aggression, ended the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in disappointing fashion.
In what could have been his last innings as a white player on Australian soil, he once again found himself in the outside off-stump trap, capping off his worst-ever performance Down Under.
Virat has participated in five Border-Gavaskar Trophy series: 2011 (300 runs), 2014 (692 runs), 2018 (282 runs) and 2020 (participated in Tests while on tour due to paternity leave) 78 runs), 2024 (190 runs).
In the second innings of the SCG Test, India looked to Virat for a crucial knock to set up a challenging target. But after taking an authoritative pull shot from his latest nemesis, Scott Borland, he stuck one straight into the hands of Steve Smith from the outstump, marking yet another soft dismissal.
Virat finished the series with just 190 runs in 5 Tests (9 innings) at an average of 23.75 runs. His scores were 5, 100* (Perth), 7, 11 (Adelaide), 3 (Brisbane), 36, 5 (Melbourne) and 17, 6 (Sydney).
It was an unusual and memorable outing in Australian conditions for India’s most reliable and experienced batsman.
indian headache
Travis Head’s dominance against India is well known and the Australian left-hander continued to torment the Indian bowlers throughout the five-match series. Head scored an excellent 89 in the first Test, which Australia lost, but did not change his attacking approach.
He then scored a brilliant 140 in the day-night Test in Adelaide, leading Australia to a 10-wicket victory and winning the Player of the Match award. My mind didn’t stop there. He hit an impressive 152 in the drawn Brisbane Test and again won the Player of the Match award.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, known for his sharp wit, slammed the Indian bowlers and said the onslaught of heads forced the Indians to seek relief in the ointment.
“Because his new last name is Travis Head’ache. They’re looking for balms in India. They’re looking for balms for foot problems, ankle problems (and) even headaches. It is ideal for that,” Shastri said on the ICC review show.
Toward the end of the series, with Australia at fourth down and losing two quick wickets (Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith), Head switched gears and scored 34 runs, not out off 38 balls, to take Australia home in style. led the team and ensured a series victory.
smith twinton
Steve Smith’s form was a cause for concern for Australia ahead of the Test series against India. In the series against New Zealand, he scored just 51 runs in two Tests, averaging just 12.75.
However, the former Australia captain quickly regained his form when he stepped onto the field for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After struggling in the first two Tests, Smith bounced back to form brilliantly, scoring a brilliant hundred in Brisbane and an impressive 140 in the Melbourne Test.
While India focused on containing Head, Constas, Khawaja and Labuschagne, Smith had other plans in mind.
“Operation” Rohit
In just six months, Rohit went from being hailed as the hero who led India to victory in the T20 World Cup to being criticized for inconsistent performances.
Rohit came into the series after having some waves with his bat in two consecutive series, first against Bangladesh and then against New Zealand. He played in two Test matches against Bangladesh and scored only 42 runs at an average of 10.50. After that, they had a disappointing result in three consecutive games against New Zealand at home, scoring only 91 points with an average of 15.16 points.
Rohit, who missed the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series due to the birth of his second child, was expected to make a strong comeback in the second Test. However, his return did not meet expectations.
Rohit ended the series with just 31 runs conceded in five innings and was dropped in the fifth and final Test due to poor form.
Rohit’s non-scoring performance in such an important series was one of the main reasons for India’s defeat on Australian soil.
