India will lock horns with Australia on 3 January 2025 in the fifth and last test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. While India doesn’t have a great record here – won only 1 match, drew 7, and lost 5 out of the 13 encounters. India’s sole win against Australia in Sydney came in 1978, under the leadership of Bishan Singh Bedi when Bhagwath Chandrasekhar’s lethal spin bowling secured India’s first test win against Australia in SCG.
The last test match held here was during the ICC World Test Championship 2023-24, from 3 to 6 January 2024, which the Aussies won by 8 wickets. Therefore, seeing the not-so-good record of India at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the eagerness of Australia to win the BGT series, this test match will probably be a thrilling contest.
Sydney Cricket Ground Pitch Report: Australia vs India 5th Test, Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
The condition of the pitch at Sydney Cricket Ground would help fast bowlers with so much seam movement on day one as the curator mentioned he would be watering the wickets to try and hold back some moisture because of the present hot weather in Sydney.
Usually, the wicket in SCG provides a lot of pace and bounce, which means that once batters take their position, they will be able to make the most of these conditions. However, spin bowlers are likely to find help there after the pitch gets worn because of the heat, particularly after the third day. Looking into the condition of the pitch and other facts, the likely choice for the toss-winning team would be to bat first.
Talking about the weather conditions – the temperature may vary between 20-34 degrees Celsius, probably offering challenging playing conditions. Clear skies are reported in the initial three days of the test match, with reports of peak temperature reaching 34 degrees Celsius from day 4 onwards. The final day’s play could be ruined because there’s an 80% chance of afternoon rainfall.
Australia vs India Head-to-Head Test Record in Sydney (SCG)
| Total Matches | 13 |
| Australia Won | 5 |
| India Won | 1 |
| Draw | 7 |
| Tied | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
Australia vs India 5th Test – Probable Playing XI
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (c)/Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna/Harshit Rana
Where to Watch India vs Australia 5th Test Match – Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
The Star Sports Network will broadcast the 2024–2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, and Disney Plus Hotstar will stream the event live.
