Match 3 report: BGT 2024-25

The third test of Border Gavaskar Trophy was played from 14-18th December at The Gabba and it ended up in a draw. The hosts clearly outplayed the opponents but constant rain resulted in a draw. The game was stopped on numerous occasions but it was the rain gods who saved Indians from a clean sweep. 

India had won the toss and they elected to bowl first. Steve Smith and Travis Head made the most of it, yet again. They scored 101(190) and 152(160) respectively. Later, Alex Carey carried the momentum as he scored a solid knock of 70 off 88. With all these contributions, Australians were at a dominant position as their first innings total was 445. Jasprit Bumrah, the lone warrior, took six wickets but all his effort went in vain as Indians had already succumbed to pressure. 

When Indians came on to bat, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were already asking them questions with their fiery deliveries. Both of them took 7 wickets in total, three by the former and four by the latter. Despite that, solid character was displayed by KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, as they scored half centuries each. By the end of their batting, India posted 260 on board. They huffed and puffed to avoid the follow on as Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah scored some vital runs down the order. 

When Australians came on to bat for the second time, Day 5 had already started. It clearly meant that they had to declare early and challenge the visitors. Hence, they declared at 89 and by then, Indians had to chase 274. Due to bad light and frequent showers, the game had to stop and it ultimately ended up in a draw. 

Now, after the end of the third test, the tally stands at 1-1. The next match is from 26-30th December, 2024 at The Melbourne Cricket Ground and it’ll be interesting to see how both the teams come up with fresh plans. 

However, an astonishing thing that happened after the test was the retirement of ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. He has decided to hang his boots and it comes as a great shock to all the Indian fans. He is a legend of the game and has contributed massively over the years. His records speaks fairly about his calibre and he will be missed for a long time as it’s hard to find an all rounder like him.