Australia clinch series win over India and spot in World Test Championship final

Australia regain Border-Gavaskar Trophy after beating India in Test series for first time since 2015; Baggy Greens clinch 3-1 victory after reaching target of 162 on third day in Sydney; Australia also seal spot in June's World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's

Sunday 5 January 2025 12:08, UK

Australia beat India by six wickets on the third day in Sydney to clinch a first series win over their opponents since 2015 and book their spot in this summer's World Test Championship final.

The Baggy Greens secured a 3-1 victory after reaching their target of 162 in the fifth and final Test, recovering from 58-3 as Travis Head (34no) and Beau Webster (39no) led the hosts home and see them regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Earlier, India were only able to add 16 runs to their overnight 141-6 with Australia seamer Scott Boland bagging 6-45 for his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests, having taken 4-31 in the first innings.

India quick Jasprit Bumrah did not bowl on Sunday due to a back injury but the tourists still gave Australia a scare at the SCG as the home side slipped from 39-0 to 58-3.

Prasidh Krishna removed Sam Konstas for a sprightly 22 from 17 balls before dismissing Marnus Labuschagne (6) and Steve Smith (4) cheaply, leaving Smith one run shy of 10,000 in Tests.

However, Usman Khawaja (41) put on 46 with Head before the latter and Webster added an unbroken 58, with Webster hitting the winning runs off Washington Sundar.

Australia - who return to Test action in Sri Lanka in January - will meet South Africa at Lord's from June 11, live on Sky Sports, as they look to defend the World Test Championship title they won by beating India at The Kia Oval in 2023.

India's hopes of reaching a third consecutive final are over and their next Test will be against England at Headingley from June 20, the first game in a five-match series.

Cummins: 'Amazing' series lived up to the hype

Australia captain Pat Cummins, whose side lost the first Test in Perth by 295 runs, before victories in Adelaide and Melbourne sandwiched a rain-affected draw in Brisbane, said: "It has been an amazing series. It has been in the calendar for a while It has lived up to all the hype.

"It felt it was seesawing throughout the whole series so to finish it 3-1, to hold the trophy, is an amazing feeling.

"I think the extra layer is securing a spot in the World Test Championship final, which was always a huge goal for us in this cycle and we've done it. We are really satisfied.

"One of the things I love most about Test cricket is it challenges you in so many different ways.

"You need more than 11 players, you need an amazing squad, you need amazing support staff to be able to win everywhere in the world.

"There were some key moments from some of our mainstays who really stood up, and you need that to beat a side like India.

"Three debutants [Webster, Konstas and Nathan McSweeney] came in and contributed at different times, so it feels like we are building something nice."

Stand-in India skipper Bumrah, who deputised for Rohit Sharma in the Sydney Test, said: "There are lots of ifs and buts. The whole series was well fought... so it was not like it was totally one-sided.

"This is how Test cricket goes in those moments. When whatever team holds their nerve for the longest time, sticks together and tries to find a way out of that, will win the series.

"It was a great series, congratulations to Australia. They fought really well for a well-deserved win."