Australia regained control of the fifth and last Test match against India after magical bowling spells from Scott Boland at Sydney Cricket Ground on Day 2. India managed to take a narrow 4-run lead in the first innings but witnessed an embarrassing collapse in the second innings despite a quickfire fifty from Rishabh Pant.
A total of 15 wickets fell on Day 2 as the fast bowlers ran riot at SCG's wicket. Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj picked 3 wickets each to bowl out the Australian side to 181 and put India ahead in the must-win last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a quick start in the second innings but Boland bowled a memorable spell by taking 4 wickets for 42 and put Australia in the driving seat. Pant smashed 61 off just 33 balls but India were reduced to 141 for 6 with a 145-run lead at the end of the day's play.
Australia endured a poor start to their first innings after starting Day 2 from 9 for 1. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Marnus Labuschagne on just two runs to give India a perfect start and then Siraj picked two early wickets to push back Australia to 39 for 4.
In-form Steve Smith and the debutant Beau Webster then added 57 runs for the fifth wicket with the latter top-scoring wth 57 off 105 balls. Bumrah left the pitch due to a back spasm in the last session but Prasidh stepped up with three wickets to deny Australia a lead in the first innings.
Jaiswal smashed four fours off Mitchell Starc in the very first of India's second innings as the hosts struggled for early control. Boland gave Australia an opening with KL Rahul's wicket in the eighth over and then also removed Jaiswal and Kohli in quick succession to stun the Indian fans at SCG.
Pant smashed a 29-ball fifty, the second-fastest by an Indian in Test cricket, but was not able to see India through to Day 2. Boland removed Nitish Reddy on just four runs to pick his fourth wicket to further put Australia to a dominant position.
Australia Playing XI: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.
