After almost nine years, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is finally back in Australian hands.
Australia have booked their spot in another World Test Championship final – this time against South Africa – after sealing a famous 3-1 series win over India at the SCG on Sunday afternoon.
A disastrous first-Test defeat in Perth forced Australia to ask hard questions of themselves and Pat Cummins’ men responded in emphatic and clinical fashion, going on to win three of the next four matches and consigning India to back-to-back series defeats.
It is the first time since the 1997 Ashes that Australia have won a Test series after going down in the first match.
Australia last won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2014-15, a series remembered for Steve Smith’s prolific run-making, before giving it back to India in March 2017 following a 2-1 series loss away from home.
For the first time since 2008, Australia now hold every major bilateral Test trophy, plus the ODI World Cup.
Australia chased down a moderate target of 162 for the loss of four wickets, thanks to important and unbeaten contributions from Travis Head (34 off 38 balls) and debutant Beau Webster (39 off 34 balls).
In front of more than 42,000 fans, most wearing a touch of pink for Jane McGrath Day, Webster hit the winning runs down the ground before a mighty punch of the air in delight.
Scott Boland’s maiden Test 10-wicket haul – he’d never before taken 10 in any first-class match – helped Australia snare 4-16 on the morning of day three to bowl India out for 157.
When Usman Khawaja was caught behind for 41 trying to play a pull shot, dozens of Indian flags were suddenly waving furiously in the lower Brewongle Stand, with Australia at 4-104 and with plenty of work to do.
Head, who’d made just five runs in previous three innings, dug in when Australia needed him most as Webster capped off an impressive debut in place of Mitch Marsh by walking off the SCG with a Test batting average of 96.
Beau Webster celebrates after hitting the winning runs to seal the series victory.Credit: Getty Images
India’s fast bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah did not feature on the final day of a series that he has dominated.
When India desperately needed one last brilliant burst from Bumrah, he was unavailable due to an injury that appears to be more serious than the official explanation of back spasms.
This truly was Test cricket at its finest.
Seldom are Test series decided in the final innings of the final Test.
Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar, who were watching on in opposing commentary boxes at the SCG, would agree that this series that is named after them lived up to all the hype.
Australia will face South Africa in a World Test Championship final at Lord’s starting on June 10.
More to come
