Sydney: Seamer Scott Boland picked 6-45 as Australia need 162 runs to win the fifth Test and clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade after dismissing India for 157 on day three’s play at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Resuming from 141/6, India could add only 16 runs to its overnight total before their second innings ended in 39.5 overs inside first hour of day three. With the pitch having enough help and movement for seamers, Boland and Pat Cummins picked two wickets each in an accurate bowling performance to end India’s innings quickly and set the stage for an exciting finish to the series.
The figures of 6-45 coming in 16.5 overs is also Boland’s first five-wicket haul in Tests since his iconic 6/7 on debut against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2021 Ashes, as the seamer got a match haul of ten wickets, with the Sydney crowd in pink cheering for him with full energy.
In the morning, Ravindra Jadeja seemed to have got his attacking mojo by slicing a short and wide ball from Pat Cummins for four, taking India’s lead past 150. But two balls later, Cummins got a fuller ball to angle in, then seam away and take the thin outside edge of Jadeja’s bat to Alex Carey and fall for 13 off 45 balls.
In his next over, Cummins got one to angle in from wide of the crease and seam in to castle Washington Sundar him through the gate for 12 off 43 balls. Boland got his six-fer by having Mohammed Siraj edge to first slip and rattling Jasprit Bumrah’s leg-stump. Though Bumrah is not certain to start bowling due to his back spasms, Australia move on to the all-important task of chasing 162 on a pitch which is not a cakewalk for batting.
Brief Scores: India 185 and 157 in 39.5 overs (Rishabh Pant 61; Scott Boland 6-45) lead Australia 181 in 50 overs (Beau Webster 57; Prasidh Krishna 3-42) by 162 runs
(IANS)
