Melbourne: The stellar Indian batting lineup including the likes of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli collapsed as Australia beat the visitors by 184 runs in the record-breaking fourth Test, the Boxing Day Test, and went 2-1 up in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with a game remaining.
This is Australia's first-ever Boxing Day Test win against India in the last 13 years. It was also the first time Australia have won a red-ball Test match against India in their home soil since 2018.
Priceless #WTC25 points as Australia take a 2-1 lead over India with a tremendous win in Melbourne 👊#AUSvIND 📝: https://t.co/V3bDj8LroF pic.twitter.com/UuRprdPw6a
— ICC (@ICC) December 30, 2024
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will come under more scrutiny as the final Test in Sydney now becomes a must-win affair for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But more importantly, India's chances to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final have reduced significantly after this defeat. India will now have to depend on Sri Lanka to get some results in their favour when the latter side takes on Australia in a two-match Test series in January 2025. South Africa have already qualified for the WTC final and only one spot is remaining.
LYON DOES IT!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 30, 2024
What a remarkable win for Australia! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/SGbA3R797X
Rohit and Co. were not able to repeat the heroics of Sydney 2021 where they batted an entire day to save a Test match. After they were set a target of 340, India saw their experienced batters, including Rohit Sharma (9 off 40 balls) and Virat Kohli (5 off 29 balls), failing to step up when the team needed them the most.
How good is Test cricket ❤️#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/yHVupMUNuK
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 30, 2024
In reply to the mammoth target, the tourists were bowled out for 155 in 79.1 overs on Day 5, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant were the only batters who displayed some resistance with the bat, being the only players to cross double digit mark for India in the fourth innings. India lost captain Rohit, KL Rahul and Kohli got out cheaply as they were reeling at 33/3. Then, Jaiswal and Pant (30 off 104 balls) stitched a much needed partnership and batted out the entire second session to take India to 112/3 but the latter's fall opened the doors for the home team.
With seven wickets left going into the final session, Australia managed to pull off a remarkable victory at the MCG.
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 30, 2024
Recap all the #AUSvIND action: https://t.co/LSqCHmFFaf pic.twitter.com/Zc5sgUnUpH
At that stage, they would have believed in themselves to save this Test match. Australia, on the other hand, knew that a wicket can open things up and that's exactly what happened. Pant once again fell while trying to play a big shot and that opened the doors of victory for Australia.
Australia then seized the opportunity and took India's last seven wickets inside just 34 runs. The rest of the batters kept falling like a pack of cards with an Aussie attack on the prowl. Scott Boland (39/3) and Nathan Lyon (37/2) were in their elements and closed the game out clinically, sharing five wickets between them. With the wicket of Mohammed Siraj, Nathan Lyon surpassed former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's tally of 537 Test wickets. Lyon now has 538 scalps to his name in 133 Tests and is the seventh highest wicket-taker of the longest format of the game.
Jaiswal fought a lone battle for the visitors with his second half century of the game. He amassed 84 off 208 balls before getting caught behind the wickets in a very controversial way on the bouncer bowled by Australian skipper Pat Cummins. The third-umpire overturned the on-field umpire's decision. BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla questioned the use of technology. In a post on X, Shukla wrote, "Yashasvi Jaiswal was clearly not out. Third umpire should have taken note of what technology was suggesting. While over ruling field umpire third umpire should have solid reasons ."
Earlier in the day, resuming the day at 228 for nine, Australia were bowled out for 234. India's star pacer Jasprit Bumrah (5/57) expectedly led the show with a five-wicket haul, extending his record tally of most fifers in Australia by an Indian.
