Key events
India won the toss and bat at the Sydney Cricket Ground
That is the plan India captain Jasprit Bumrah. That’s right, folks – captain Rohit Sharma is FIRED. Whether that was the omission of the sentence or the BCCII’s, we shall find out.
Pat Cummins recognized him and stepped forward. However, the SCG pitch is a tad greener than usual so he can launch his attack and see if he can wreak havoc. Cummins says the team has had a very easy few days, resting and recharging.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma is not playing in the New Year’s Test, so both teams will strengthen their roles.
India won and will bat first. #AUSWIN
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 2, 2025
They debuted last week Sam Konstas enlightened the opium of the world. The new face in Australia’s XI today is Beau Webster, a 31-year-old man hailing from the town of Snug, Tasmania.
Webster was awarded Baggy Green #469 this morning popularized by the great Mark Waugh and his ascension. Webster averaged 57.1 with the bat at first-class level from March 2022 and took 81 wickets at 31.7 in the same period.
Last summer, he scored 938 runs at 58.62 in Sheffield, including three centuries, while also taking 30 wickets to help Tasmania reach the final. Only one cricketer has bettered those numbers in the Shield campaign – a certain baron called Sir Garfield Sobers 😉
This is it Rose Testproud tradition since 2009 in which Cricket Australia and the SCG Trust are teaming up with the McGrath Foundation to raise awareness and much needed funds for breast cancer.
Jane McGrath, wife of Australian Test legend Glenn, was a beloved figure. Jane passed away from the disease in 2008, but her legacy is powerful and we are honoring it this week. The McGrath Foundation has supported more than 150,000 families across Australia and by 2024, supported 15,720 new families. So farIf you would like to take up the case given. You can buy the Straight Pink Seat here for five days’ worth.
The Australian players have pink caps and will soon present them to Glenn McGrath, where they will be auctioned off. The cause is close to their hearts and clearly inspires their work. Of the 17 Pink Tests, Australia have won nine, drawn seven (including one against India on the 2020/21 tour) and lost once.
There has been a major ruckus in the Indian camp all week with speculation of a split team captain Rohit Sharma a) “rest” for the Test itself, b) to be cut by the sword and abdicate and/or surrender, c) to be questioned by the selectors for the 5th Test, or d) to be retained at the behest of the higher powers of the BCCI. .
Amidst all the action and emotion, it is easy to forget that Sharma missed the first Test in Perth, where Jasprit Bumrah led India to a magnificent victory and a 1-0 series lead. At the age of 37 years, Sharma’s arrival has made India look uneven and once the dominant batting skipper was MIA, with scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 and 9.
The plot thickened yesterday when Sharma did not show up for the public interview and the India coach Gautam Gambhir did the duties. Gambhir was later spotted in lengthy talks with Bumrah on the day when rumors of Sharma’s exit heated up. Nor did Sharma slip into the field during India’s training session at the SCG yesterday.
Given the first test of the new year, the Australian and Indian teams were hosted by Prime Minister Antonio Albanese at Kirribilli House on the first day of 2015.
The weather? It it is not It’s raining in Sydney although heavy dew fell overnight and the skies are gray now. There is a slight chance (20%, as I said) of showers in the morning but the latest news from the bureau is that Day One is going to be persistent: a day of 26C with light winds of 15-20kph. For the first three days at least, the forecast of all is clear.
Given Sydney’s varied weather conditions – 26 days were washed out in the SCG Tests compared with nine for the MCG Tests – that’s a great result. Days four and five, I will say, are typically stormy with a mix of extreme heat, heavy rain, and lightning. But hey, let’s live for the day and worry if it ever happens.
Australia and India have battled it out on the cricket field since 1947 when Don Bradman (715 runs at 178.75) and Ray Lindwall (18 at 16.88 overs) led Australia to a 4-0 victory.
Over 111 Tests, Australia won 47, India 33 with 30 draws and one tie. India’s series victories in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21 have shifted the balance of power, but a resounding victory for Australia at the MCG could signal a new era of dominance.
No matter how they play the next five days, such proud nations can put down their rivalry and declare the cliché wrapped in gold true: Test cricket was a big winner.
The beginning
Fontaine of Angus
G’day cricket fans and welcome to Sydney Cricket Grounds for the coverage of the fifth Test between Australia and India. Angus Fontaine is here to guide you to the safe opening of James Wallace’s house.
After the victory in Melbourne, the young man – Witness the largest cricket team in Australian history – Pat Cummins’ men lead the series 2-1 and now just need to get their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15. For India, only a victory at the SCG can secure the trophy for the fifth consecutive time.
This 2024-25 series has been launched as the title battle of the heavyweight cricket and hype. Both sides threw an incredible amount of punches, looking for a striking blow. India won the opening round with a commanding 295-run win at Perth. Beating Australia in Adelaide, they triumphed by 10 wickets. The third Test at the Gabba was led to a rainy day Australia broke the deadlock in the fourth Test thriller at the MCG
All four Tests have delivered extraordinary cricket, individual feats of brilliance and moments of drama. Sydney should be no different. Both teams enter with new-look lineups. Australia fell to Cicero Marsh misfiring and Tasmanian allrounder Beau Webster will make his Test debut. And in a sense, India will enter this Test final match without his teacher Rohit Sharma!
Play is scheduled to start at 10.30am AEST and we will have the final teams and coin toss shortly. Put on your cup and take the fuel on board. Today is a great day.