An odd situation In the fifth and final Test match in Sydney, Australia easily won by six wickets, eliminating India from the World Test Championship final.
Uncomfortable India was eliminated from the World Test Championship final as Australia easily won the fifth Test in Sydney on Sunday by six wickets to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade. The tourists now have a number of factors to consider during a challenging transition period. In addition to winning the five-match series 3-1, Australia advanced to the World Test Championship final, which will take place at the Lord’s from June 11 to 15, versus South Africa. Defending the total would have been nearly impossible after Virat Kohli led the side out, but it might have been more difficult if new Test captain Jasprit Bumrah had been able to bowl despite excruciating back pain.
Although Bumrah’s incredible 32-wicket tally in five games earned him the player of the series award, it was barely a comfort given India’s dismal team performance.
It can be a little annoying, but sometimes you have to accept your body; you can’t resist it. At the post-match presentation ceremony, Bumrah remarked, “Disappointing, probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series,” in reference to his incapacity to bowl in the second innings.Despite several breakthroughs, Mohammed Siraj (1/69 in 12 overs) and Prasidh Krishna (3/65 in 12 overs) were no match for Bumrah, bowling too many bad deliveries to allow the hosts to easily canter home in just 27 overs.
In a tour that has shown all of India’s batting weaknesses and an unhealthful dependence on Bumrah, Usman Khawaja (41), Travis Head (34 not out), and rookie Beau Webster (39 not out) completed the formalities and ended the team’s suffering.When Bumrah was ruled out after attempting some shadow bowling during the morning warm-up session and feeling uneasy, the writing was on the wall.
Scott Boland (6/45) and Pat Cummins (3/44) combined to reduce the Indian tail to 157 in 39.5 overs. If Rishabh Pant’s fiery 61 and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 22 are excluded, the remaining nine players contribute only 74 runs.The series would leave the men in charge of the Indian cricket establishment with a lot on their minds as they discussed methods to get the house in shape.
With six of the completed innings yielding fewer than 200 runs, a soothsayer is not required to determine what went wrong on the tour.
Regular skipper Rohit Sharma and batting star Virat Kohli were plagued by technological troubles throughout the season.
Despite three ducks, Jaiswal (391 runs) was the leading scorer, followed by rookies Nitish Kumar Reddy (298 runs), KL Rahul (276 runs), and Pant (255 runs).As much as one wants to take a nuanced approach to Rohit and Kohli’s dismal form, it is apparent that both stalwarts are unable to stop the rot in their batting.
There are a few good young players on the edges, and the new World Test Championship cycle would require that they be allowed time to grow.
While a decision on Kohli and Rohit is expected, the BCCI brass must also seriously consider if coach Gautam Gambhir is the ideal man to lead across formats.It is indisputable that both veterans are struggling to stop the rot that has developed in their batting, regardless of how one chooses to interpret Rohit and Kohli’s dismal performance.
The new World Test Championship cycle would require that certain talented young players be given the opportunity to grow over time.
The BCCI leadership must carefully consider if coach Gautam Gambhir is the best person to oversee all formats, even as they await a difficult decision about Kohli and Rohit.Aside from losing an ODI series in Sri Lanka, India has dropped six of their ten Test matches under Gambhir this season.
Gambhir cannot be excused because the squad is in transition if Kohli and Rohit are held responsible.
The head coach’s aggressive style is a trade secret, and it isn’t making him very popular in the locker room.
Rohit’s final decision to quit and Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement following Brisbane occurred in what can only be characterized as an abrupt fashion.
