India must win this Test to have any shot at qualification for the ICC World Test Championship final. If they do win, India would then have to pin their hopes on Sri Lanka, who host Australia for a two-Test series
The stakes could hardly have been higher for the Indian men's cricket team, as it prepares to face Australia in the fifth and final Test in Sydney, starting Friday (January 3, 2025). Watch the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy match live on TV and online. (Full Coverage | Preview)
After a crushing 184-run loss in Melbourne, egos as well as equations have taken a beating. While star senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli appear to be facing uncertain futures in the red-ball format, India's hopes of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship final are hanging by a thread.
India must win this Test to have any shot at qualification. Even a draw would end India's chances. If they do win, India would then have to pin their hopes on Sri Lanka, who host Australia for a two-Test series. A 1-0 or 2-0 result in favour of the Lankans is the only way India can then make the WTC final cut.
In the midst of all the soul-searching, Jasprit Bumrah has emerged as a lone warrior for India, with his exemplary performance second to none in the series. Bumrah became the only bowler in the world to get to the 200-wicket mark at an average below 20, and continues to amaze batters and viewers alike with his unparalleled ability with the ball.
His splendid performances have led to Cricket Australia naming Bumrah as the captain of its Test team of the year 2024. Bumrah has been the best bowler in Test cricket in 2024 with 71 wickets from 13 matches at an average of 14.92 and a strike rate of 30.16. He was earlier nominated for the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year award, and also featured in the list for the best player in the Test format.
At the same time, Bumrah's workload also needs to be monitored for his as well as India's sake. His 53.2 overs that he bowled in Melbourne in the fourth Test were the most he has ever produced in a Test match, taking his tally to 141.2 for the entire series. For context, Australia skipper Pat Cummins (136.4), Mitchell Starc (131.2) and Mohammed Siraj (129.1) are the bowlers with the next highest figures across the previous four Tests.
"To be honest, he has bowled a lot of overs. There is no doubt about it. But again, every Test match we play, we keep that in mind," Rohit said on Bumrah's workload.
He added, "...there comes a time when you need to step back a little bit and give him that little bit of an extra breather as well. So, we've been very careful. I've been very careful. I talk to him about how he feels and stuff like that. So, yeah. Those things should be managed carefully. And I'm trying to do that on the field."
When and where will the India vs Australia, 5th Test be played?
The India vs Australia, 5th Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground between January 3 and 7, 2025. The five-day match is slated to start at 5am IST on each day, though that is subject to change based on rain or other interruptions.
Where will the India vs Australia, 5th Test be telecast and live streamed?
The India vs Australia, 5th Test will be live streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app and website in India. It will be broadcast on the Star Sports TV channels in India.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Tanush Kotian, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Beau Webster, Sean Abbott, Josh Inglis, Jhye Richardson.