India Struggle After Early Losses In Fifth Test Against Australia At SCG
India’s batting woes persisted after skipper Rohit Sharma was dropped, as they were bowled out for a modest 185 runs on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In reply, Australia was 9 for 1 at stumps, with new Indian captain Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Usman Khawaja on the last ball of the day.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant top-scored for India with 40, followed by Ravindra Jadeja’s 26 and captain Bumrah’s brisk 22 off 16 balls, which included three boundaries and a six.
India’s openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal fell cheaply, and Rohit’s batting replacement, Shubman Gill, was dismissed before lunch. Virat Kohli, who scored 17, was the only middle-order player to offer some resistance before being caught after the break.
For Australia, Scott Boland was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets for 31 runs, while Mitchell Starc claimed 3 wickets to dismantle India’s fragile batting lineup.
India needs a win to keep their hopes alive for the World Test Championship final in June, as Australia leads the series 2-1. A victory would allow India to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but they appeared on the back foot after Bumrah, filling in for Rohit, won the toss and chose to bat.
Australian captain Pat Cummins admitted he would have made the same decision but was clearly pleased with the green-tinged wicket and overcast skies at the iconic ground.
India lost Rahul for four with just 11 runs on the board, and Jaiswal followed soon after, dismissed by Boland for 10. Boland almost had Kohli out for a golden duck, but replays showed that Steve Smith’s slip catch had touched the ground.
Nathan Lyon claimed the wicket of Gill just before lunch with a thick edge to the slips, while Boland returned to dismiss Kohli after the break with another well-directed delivery caught by debutant Beau Webster.
Rumors of tension in the Indian camp were addressed earlier in the day, with Bumrah clarifying that Rohit’s absence was the 37-year-old’s own decision.
