Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: AUS vs IND Match Preview, 5th Test

Australia (AUS) and India (IND) will lock horns in the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from Friday, January 3, to be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), in Sydney. The hosts went 2-1 in the series after their win in Melbourne. 

India won the first Test convincingly in Perth by 295 runs and had a bright start to the series. However, Australia bounced back in the following pink-ball Test in Adelaide to level the series. The third Test in Brisbane turned out to be a rain-affected contest which eventually ended in a draw. The Boxing Day Test which India has won in their last two visits on the Australian shores, saw them suffer a disappointing 184-run defeat, giving the hosts a lead for the first time in this series.

With the series moving to its last phase, this match is their only hope to secure a place in the World Test Championship final. Currently, at the third spot with 114 points and a PCT of 52.78, the Rohit Sharma-led side will face a must-win scenario in Sydney. With this being their last Test series of this WTC cycle, India's chances are narrow as Australia is ahead of them and still has a two-match Test series left to be played against Sri Lanka. If the Aussies manage to win the Sydney Test they not only lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also find a place in the WTC final for the second time in a row.

Match Details

Pitch Report

The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a batting-friendly surface early on and provides consistent bounce and favours the batters, but as the match progresses, spinners are likely to dominate. This venue, one of Australia's few spin-friendly grounds, has an average first-innings score of 318. The weather could play a crucial role, with hot conditions expected for the first four days and rain likely on Day 5.

Head-to-Head Record

Probable Playing XI:

Australia (AUS):

The hosts have already announced their playing XI for the final Test, with the 31-year-old Beau Webster set to make his debut in the New Year's Test. The all-rounder has replaced Mitchell Marsh who has had an underwhelming season so far. The rest of the side is unchanged and the Aussies have stuck to their winning combination. Ace pacer Mitchell Starc has also been deemed fit after battling a back problem.

Predicted XI: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India (IND):

India who are trailing in the series will leave no stone unturned to level the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ahead of the final Test, coach Gautam Gambhir revealed that pacer Akash Deep will miss the next Test due to a stiff back which means, the side might see a return of Harshit Rana as the third seamer or might go for Prasidh Krishna. Skipper Rohit Sharma who has been facing huge criticism for his form, might look to bench himself and make a place for Shubman Gill at the top. The visitors might also include Dhruv Jurel in place of Washington Sundar to lengthen their batting.

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c)/ Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna/Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah (c*), Mohammed Siraj.