India vs Australia Highlights, 5th Test Day 1: AUS 9/1 at Stumps vs IND in Sydney

First over done and Australia have showed already their cards. Konstas tried to walk down the wicket a couple of times and play his fancy shots to negate the pitch and threat of Bumrah. As per Usman Khawaja, he took a blow to his hand and had a strapping. We might see conditions get better tomorrow we have to see. These conditions are ideal for Mohammed Siraj. We have seen him go on a rampage on a similar wicket in Cape Town in the Test match against South Africa exactly a year back. He picked eight wickets then. it might be not as easy as that but he can create an impact here.

Bumrah pulled one and the ball hit the top of the bat it seemed like and was caught at mid-wicket. 185 is what India could get to ideally they would have loved to have another 75-80 runs but this is where this batting line up is. If not for a cameo from Bumrah things would have looked even worse. Exceptional bowling from Boland. Though there was help for him he still had to put the ball in the right areas which he did. Australian openers will have tricky 15 minutes to face against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj which can be as tricky as it can get in modern Test cricket.

Both Bumrah and Siraj have hung around nicely so far. Bumrah has whacked a few with good results all valuable runs. India needs to get as many as possible in the first innings. Once again it was a low-scoring effort by the Indians in the first innings which has to change going forward. They need to blood in players who have the habit of scoring big runs like Yashasvi Jaiswal when they get in. With Shubman Gill today he did all the hard work and it seemed like 100 was there for the taking when he decided to throw it away playing a tame shot against Lyon. With Kohli too it's the same thing at this stage of his career. India needs players who can hang around and score big runs not just starts and throw it away.

?? "What Joel Wilson's looking for here is that spike up to one frame past the glove, and he's got that spike. There's nothing else out there and the ball is underneath the glove.

"The third umpire well and truly within his rights, according to the protocols, to determine that's… https://t.co/3vTsqokwLF pic.twitter.com/XjvUW1GN9w

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 3, 2025

Prasidh Krishna has fallen he tried to hoik a few which was not wrong but he just did not have the skill or strength to clear the boundaries. It was a short ball from Starc which he tried to pull and was caught at square leg by Sam Konstas. India has lost their night wicket Mohammed Siraj is the new man expect him to swing a few against the bowlers instead of trying to defend. Bumrah in the last 15 minutes or so had the right approach on how to go about this wicket. In hindsight, a counterattacking 70 or 80 would have made a huge difference for India instead of just blocking it out.

It is a strange dismissal there was not much deflection as Sundar tried to hook the ball however, there was a small spike as the ball was passing through Sundar's glove underneath. Third umpire Joel Wilson decided there was a spike and no gap between the bat and ball and gave it out. It was a decision given not out on the field and was sent upstairs by Pat Cummins on a whim. Sundar was unhappy with the decision but he walked back. India has lost eight wickets now. Jasprit Bumrah has walked into the middle do they have enough we are afraid they are about a 100-runs short.

We have a blow here to Sundar he is having some treatment hence the play has been halted. How many times we have seen through the day batters get hit by the ball? It just seems like the ball is still nibbling a bit after 65 overs. The wicket might get better for batting tomorrow hence it might not be a bad ploy from the Indians to go after the bowling at least at this stage of the game and get as many runs as possible and comeback in late in the evening and have a crack at the Australian batting line up for a brief spell. Usman Khawaja who is the opener of Australia has not looked in good form either.  As we update Sundar departs

NRMA Insurance 5th Test
Australia v India
Sydney Cricket Ground

Attendance at Tea on Day 1 was 47,566.

Ravindra Jadeja has fallen now it was a full ball which he missed and was trapped in front of the wicket. He was given out on the field however, he decided to send it upstairs to see all reds. India has now lost seven wickets by all means they might get bowled out by the end of the day's play. What a tame batting effort this has proven to be for the Indians. Bumrah after winning the toss opting to bat first would have hoped in worst-case scenario his team would have got to about 250 however, the hosts have pulled off another poor batting effort. More than Perth this Test might just end up playing out like the Adelaide game.

We have reached the water break in the evening session. After winning that first Test in Perth, India has increasingly become like one of those England sides who have come to Australia and got thrashed. It might be too far ahead but with this batting performance, India has shot themselves on their foot. They should be more worried about the display today than what has happened in MCG's second innings. Given the were game is going if this is how India wants to play their Test cricket they will end up as one of those mediocre sides.

Jadeja still continues his approach of leaving the ball. It is high time India might consider playing some shots or else they are under a serious threat of getting bowled out for below-par total after spending so much time in the middle. From too attacking to too defensive India has come full circle in a matter of three days. The batters who need to soak up the pressure up top have gone out playing attacking shots and the players who are supposed to counterattack are ending up playing defensive shots against their natural game which has taken this inning nowhere for India after they won the toss and opted to bat first.

Boland was threatening to do this all morning and he picked two wickets in consecutive balls. First, it was Pant who pulled Boland got the top edge, and was caught at mid-wicket. Nitish Kumar Reddy like his idol Virat Kohli poked at one on the fourth stump and was a catching practice to slip Steven Smith. This was the worry from the morning when India decided to close the shop and keep blocking everything. This was always going to happen at some point in the game and it did happen. What did the side gain by just blocking everything only Gambhir and the team management can explain.

25 minutes into the session we have still not seen India throw any punches at Australia they seem to continue with their attritional method at this point. We are 24 overs away from the new ball but given the way over-rates are going Australia might not have too much of a burst with a second new ball. It just might be 3-4 overs. However, India has not scored any runs at this point in the game that can threaten the Aussies. Yes, the wicket is not conducive for batting but India needs to find a way here to put some sort of pressure back on the bowlers. As we update Scott Boland picks Rishabh Pant.

Overrate is something Australia would be worried about in this Test match. Except if they lose Australia has a chance to get to the final of WTC. However, in 2021 they were docked of points for slow overrate which cost them a spot in the final, and New Zealand reached in place of them who eventually went on to win. However, in 2023 they won it and are the defending champions and would love to defend their crown yet again. Cricket-wise they have been superb once again in this cycle but over-rate might just be that Achilles heel which might hold them back. They have given Lyon a spell from their perspective it ticks the box for them.

These are the conditions that suit Scott Boland perfectly. There is enough grass on the surface and he is pitching the ball in the right areas throughout the day he has been able to manage some moments of the surface. It is strange how this surface played. There was not much of a seam moment with the new ball but once the ball did lose a bit of lacquer things started to change which is something we do not associate with Kookaburra usually it is more Dukes-like. It's a strange Test match so far. the scoring rates have been low but the cricket played has been intense and absorbing. 

"There's no doubt this side isn't going to need to recoup over the next two or three years and selectors are going to have to be tough at times because I think players are less likely to retire these days, so therefore selectors have to be a little more ruthless," Taylor said. 

(Via 2GB radio)

"This is Uzzie's home Test match, the SCG," Clarke said on the Beyond 23 podcast.

"He has been an amazing player, absolutely amazing player. Come back in, score runs overseas, score runs in Australia. He is 38 years of age, I think it could be a great opportunity for Uzzie to announce his retirement, and Sydney to be his last Test.

"I know he would like to keep playing. His form has not been as good as he would like throughout this series. I also think that could be a great opportunity for a new player to come in, open the batting, get some Test match cricket under their belt before the first Ashes Test match."

That is Tea break. Though India has lost only one wicket they have not gone much ahead in this game either. Both Pant and Jadeja have looked to occupy the crease and suck out the momentum. A bit like earlier games India has once again lost early wickets and both Pant and Jadeja have negotiated well in the noon session. The only cause of concern is batters just playing a tad bit too slowly. Pant did manage to get a few boundaries away but India needs more of it post Tea as they have to score as many as possible before the second new ball comes. They just cannot be blocking everything. We will be right after the break to join us for the evening session.

India has to reassess what they want to do here. They are not going to win this game by just scoring 250-300. They need to get about that 400 mark and it is not possible by batters scoring at 2s. In MCG the batters attacked playing for a draw here trying to put on first innings score they are going defensive. It is too extreme. India might just want to capitalise on this older ball after Tea as runs have to come at some point in this game. The pressure needs to be put back on the Aussies at some point. It just cannot be all-absorbing as sooner or later the ball with the batter's name will come with not many runs on the board to show for it.

Pant has hit a maximum here and has broken the shackles. It will be interesting to see if this is a moment where he decides to change gears or if he will continue to grind it out. Ravindra Jadeja at the other end too has been quite defensive in his approach. It is not like he comes out all guns blazing in every game but he too has been unusually scoring at a low clip this game. As long as both batters are clear about what their plans are when and their scoring options India should be fine. But at this point, the innings is just looking stagnant for India. With just 15 minutes for Tea, it would be very India-like if they do something knee-jerk and lose a wicket by playing some rash shot.

Webster has bowled well here. He kept things tight which is something Mitchell Marsh could not do hence Cummins had to bring himself or Starc back onto the attack which did not allow them to have much of a break. But Webster seems to be a steadier bowler. Though he is not as quick he looked to swing the ball in the morning session and now with the old ball he is just looking to keep the ball on a spot and let the batters make the move. Additionally, Indian batters too thus far have not taken much risk. They have just let the game drift away. 

Australia is piling up the maidens here. Neither Pant nor Jadeja are showing any intent to score runs which is a bit hard to understand. Now that the ball is 40 overs old it might not be a bad idea to be a bit more free in stroke play. This is what the batting teams want when they do come to countries like Australia and South Africa where the Kookaburra balls are used. You respect the bowlers for 25-30 overs and then slowly accelerate. However, India yet again lost their wickets against the new ball but with quite a bit of batting still left to come they might just up the ante a bit instead of just looking to block everything. They are not playing for a draw here they are playing to score runs in the first innings.

Scott Boland is in the middle of a fabulous spell here. His rhythm looks exceptional and his batters just are not able to get him away at this point. When they went after him in Adelaide it seemed like India had found a method to deal with Boland however, as the series went on Indians went back to their shells and tried to attack the bowlers than Boland which has cost them. Today once again instead of trying to be a bit proactive against him they have given him too much respect. We have seen with Boland when the batters do go after him he does not have other options to resort to.

There is a constant effort from Pant to play the ball late and with soft hands underneath his eyes the side effect of which meant that he took a couple of blows to the body already. There is no uneven bounce on this pitch however, taking those blows is a tad but concerning. Is he trying to alter his game completely or is he trying something new to find new ways to attack only time will tell. Whatever may be the case, however, India may opt to do it they need runs here. First innings runs are like gold dust in Test matches and India at this point way way behind this game. 

"As cricketers, we all think that's out, the ball never really touched the ground," he said.

"If I'm batting I'm probably happy to walk there, but I'm also happy [for him] to stay."

The bottom line is, the captain of a country does not opt out for the final test match, the final deciding test match of a series. He's no doubt, he's been dropped. And I don't know why they just don't say he's been dropped. It doesn't mean he's dropped forever. It means he's missing this test match because he's been out of form. That's not a crime. That's unfortunately professional sport and that's what's happened. 

Ravindra Jadeja drives at one and the ball took the edge to Steven Smith at second slip who dropped it. Once again it was a loose shot by the Indian batter. The visitors need a partnership here not batters playing rash shots and attracting further criticism. This is were India has lacked Test awareness. They need to find a method where they score some big runs in the first innings. Time again in the series against New Zealand here as well they have lacked the method and robustness to put runs on the board and once you don't score your runs in the first innings the wicket keeps getting harder and it will give a confidence boost to the opposition. 

Kohli does a Kohli. It was a ball that could have left both on line and length but he managed to edge it to slip corden like he did many times in the series and Webster took a simple catch. It is Scott Boland who got the wicket. It is hard to understand where Kohli goes from here. India does not have a home series where he can fix his technique before England in June later this year and it is going to be an even tougher Test for him over there. While it seemed like the call on Rohit Sharma is taken it will be interesting to see what direction team management will go with Kohli going forward.

It is not usual does Pant to have a quiet series but this has been one. He is yet to get a half-century in this series. In the early part, Australia seemed to have devised a plan for him which was to draw him forward and bowl around that fourth stump line and angle it away but as the series went on Pant devised his own downfall by playing shots at the wrong moments. This inning his approach just seems to be a little different he plays late does Pant but he is standing way out of the crease like other batters did today for India. it just seems like a deliberate plan instructed by the coaching group for all the players to do.

Things have calmed down after lunch. Both Scott Boland and Pat Cummins have taken the ball and started where they left off before the break, which is bowling accurate lines and lengths. Both the Indian batters will have plenty in their minds, especially what has happened in the build-up to this Test match. Rishabh Pant especially it will be interesting to see how he goes about his innings. It is unlikely he will go entire innings without playing his unusual unorthodox shots but it is a question of when he opts to do that. Likewise for Kohli will poke at one outside the off-stump and might play that lavish drive but it when he opts to do it will make the difference.

We are back for the noon session Pant has walked with in Kohli. India has to do it all over it again after that partnership between Shubman Gill and Kohli. This session will be better for batting compared to morning but Indians need to apply themselves.

Rohit is yet to pass 10 in any of his five innings in the series since missing the first Test to stay home for the birth of his child. 

"Indian cricket will always be in safe hands [as long as] you've got honest people sitting in that room. Honesty is the most important thing for any transition," Gambhir said.

"It is not about phasing out senior players or getting the youngsters in, ultimately the only thing that can keep you in that dressing room is the performance."

"Shubman was taking his time there, it actually played into our hands," Steve Smith told Fox Cricket.

"He actually said something to me like 'I take my time', I don't know. He decided to run on the first one and I think he was trying to launch him. That happens."

Smith then says he "100 per cent" had his hand under the ball when Kohli was given not out for a catch.

Shubman Gill's wicket sums up India's tour so far. He looked well set and was promising to score big. However, in a brain fade moment, he charged down to Lyon to defend the ball and edged it to slip. India has lost three wickets in the morning session. Just when it looked like India was getting away they lost their set batter. It is Australia's session now without a doubt. They have kept bowling accurate lines and lengths eventually to get the results. Rishabh Pant alongside Virat Kohli will resume the post-lunch session in a while do join us for another absorbing session.,

We are closing in on lunch break here and if the score does stay this way for the next five minutes or so it would be a shared session and if Australia manages to pick one it would be theirs. It is a bittersweet start to India in this test match in the absence of Rohit.

After the initial wickets, India has fought back here. However, the job is not done yet. They need to build a big partnership here. We can see both batters are not feeling comfortable here. Pat Cummins is testing the batters using different field sets and giving short bursts to bowlers but the good thing is with a bit of luck both the batters are still in the middle. We have seen the tendency of India to lose wickets in clusters and when batters do get in they do manage to score a long partnership it has been a bit of all or nothing. As per Australia, they have been more consistent with their partnerships instead of one or two players dominating the entire innings.

Shubman Gill has looked uncomfortable here in the last 15 minutes or so. The ball is beating his edge a few times, and he seems to lose his balance a bit while driving. He needs to be a bit cautious here, Gill. He is a free-stroking player and likes to get his runs at a decent clip, but it is not a possibility on all surfaces. This right now might look like an unplayable wicket, but it will get better as the day goes on. Virat Kohli at the other end too seems to be in two minds on how to approach his innings. At this moment he is leaving well after that initial hiccup he had however, how long will he resist the temptation will be interesting to see.

"As far as I was concerned, if (the ball) had've come out of (Smith's) hand, he wouldn't have been able to scoop it up. 

"I think his fingers are clearly underneath the ball ... look where his pointer figure is there, it's still underneath the ball."

Justin Langer on the decision:

"From what I have seen there, that makes it more obvious to me that should have been out. Steve Smith had his fingers (underneath the ball), and you could see he was flicking the ball up, it was brilliant what he did.

"He had his fingers under the ball, he flicked it up deliberately and in my opinion that’s out."

"Virat Kohli will breath a huge sigh of relief, Australian fans will feel they've been robbed, Indian fans (it's) desperate relief," Isa Guha said on Fox Cricket.

Mark Waugh believes the finger was underneath the ball when it touched the turf.

"It would've been a great catch ... I think it was ... he's not happy," he said.

"You see his right finger just underneath it ... I think he's got away with one there Kohli."

"Those ones looks so close, it's hard to tell," Allan Border added.

"I think you described it very well when you said that depending upon which side of the fence you sit on you could probably build a case for either decision to be given.

"Listening to Joel Wilson's language there, where he said the fingers were underneath the ball and then he's seen it roll on to the ground, by his own language he is telling us that he believes he's seeing that ball on the ground.

"So, there are two things that the TV umpire here is looking for. One is fingers underneath the ball. He was satisfied there. But then he believes through those pictures that he's clearly seen the ball on the ground.

"And here's the challenge, slowing it right down with slow-mo. Play it at real speed and it looks pretty good.

"I can certainly understand what the third umpire's done there. He believes he's seen the ball on the ground and called it way he's seen it. Normally the ICC protocol on fair catches is if you see the fingers underneath the ball, that's good to maintain a fair catch.

"But here’s the problem: the on-field umpire's no longer have the soft signal and make the decision, it's purely in the hands of the television umpire now."

Scott Boland hit the front pad of Shubman Gill and Cummins decided to send it upstairs after not giving out on-field however, the ball was going over the top of the stumps. Gill is batting way out of his crease which is a tactic used by the batters to negate any seam or swing moment however, the risk it brings is it makes the batters vulnerable against the short ball and we have seen Kohli try this method and perish in earlier Tests, especially against Starc who pulls his length back when he sees batters do this. But so far so good as Gill once again in this tour is looking million dollars but these starts need to be converted into big scores.

It just might be the luck Kohli needed early on in his innings. It is important that he capitalizes and makes a big score here. He did manage to get a ton in Perth and since then the best he looked was in MCG for his 38. Today he has another opportunity to stamp his authority. It is not ideal that he has come this early to bat but if he gives himself time this surface is good enough to get runs later on. One good thing though with Shubman Gill batting at the other end he will ensure there is a constant rotation of strikes and Gill will punish the bowlers when they are off by length which will allow Kohli to play second Fidel for a while.

Well, drama that is what it is. Kohli came in and ball Boland induced the edge of the bat and the ball went to slip Steven Smith attempted a lovely catch diving to his right and seemed like he pulled off a blinder as he looped it to Marnus Labuschange in corden however, the umpires sent it upstairs only to find out the ball was brushing the grass slightly and Kohli was deemed not out. Earlier Yashasvi Jaiswal had got a good delivery against Boland the ball was pitched and moved away to take the outside edge to Beau Webster at third slip. India has lost two wickets within an hour and could have three down if Smith would have got his hands underneath. It is a cliche but they need a partnership both Gill and Kohli need to build here.

Virat Kohli steps over the boundary ropes. They Boo. He touches the ground with his hand and raises it to his chest.. and off he walks in briskly

It is hard to assess what to make of Rahul's series. While he has looked solid whenever he has batted he did still not score as many runs as he would have liked to and made a case for him being a long-term Test opener. Yes, his going down the order at MCG after opening in three Tests might have affected and there have been a couple of cracking deliveries from Cummins at MCG to him. However, that is the job description in the top order. There will be days when there will be a peach of deliveries coming at you but once as a batter, you get yourself in you go on to make a big score that is where Rahul lacked. When he got his half-centuries he threw it away. As we update Yashasvi Jaiswal departs.

Well, that is a soft dismissal the ball was there to be hit and KL Rahul did hit however was caught at mid-wicket. It was a half-volley on the middle stump asking to hit four a boundary and Rahul missed it. He would be kicking himself. Mitchell Starc would not have believed his luck if he got a similar wicket to Yashasvi Jaiswal earlier in the series it is an action replay of it. Shubman Gill has walked into the middle and it is an important innings for him. He was dropped for the last game hence he does have a point to prove. For all the grace in his batting and potential, Gill only averages in mid 30s which has to change if he wants to have a prolonged career.

Mitchell Starc has pulled back his lengths here anything that has been pitched up thus far has been drivable indicating how good this wicket is to bat on. India needs to put on runs here. We have seen time and again in recent times where they have struggled to score first innings runs and have fallen behind in the games but on surfaces like these they have to cash in. If they don't make the opposition pay they will fall at the risk of losing the game. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are in good form and getting a good start and seeing off this new ball is mandatory for the visitors to make a big total on Day 1 here.

We are done with the opening over here there is not much of a swing on offer here early in the piece for Mitchell Starc in that first over which is a little odd because usually in Sydney the new ball does move a bit in the air. Also, there is quite a thick covering of grass on the surface and with a bit of moisture the ball might seam a bit for Cummins and Boland if they pitch the ball in the right areas with good wrist positions. However, as the day progresses this should be excellent for batting as the sun will come out and moisture will dry out and the wicket will change its colour.

The national anthems are done. The conditions look good for playing cricket It is going to be Jasprit Bumrah then to lead India. Interesting times in Indian cricket and a match with much at stake for Pat Cummins and Australia despite leading in the series.

"Our captain has shown his leadership, he's opted to rest in this game," Bumrah says.

"So that shows there's a lot of unity in our team, there's no selfishness, whatever is in the team's best interest, we are looking to do that."

India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Australia Playing XI: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

Pat Cummins (Australia Captain): "We would have batted first as well but overcast conditions, so hoping to get something going. 

Last week in Melbourne was amazing, hoping for the same here. First few days are sold out I guess. 

It was great, we had 3 quiet days, boys have pulled up well. Every summer it gets bigger and bigger here. Just one change Beau Webster is debuting in place of Mitch Marsh."

"We will bat first. We have played some really good cricket in this series. The last match was exciting, hoping to put on a good show. There is grass but doesn't look too spicy. 

Yeah of course, we have to learn to digest defeat and enjoy the win. 

Obviously our captain has shown great leadership, he has opted to rest today. Two changes, Rohit has opted to rest. Akash Deep is injured so Prasidh Krishna comes in."

Jasprit Bumrah has the captain's blazer on. Rohit Sharma is not playing this TEST match.

India have won the toss and have opted to bat first.

It is overcast at the moment in Sydney and there was a light shower as well earlier but the good news is that the rain has stopped for now.

Rohit is yet to pass 10 in any of his five innings in the series since missing the first Test to stay home for the birth of his child. 

"Indian cricket will always be in safe hands [as long as] you've got honest people sitting in that room. Honesty is the most important thing for any transition," Gambhir said.

"It is not about phasing out senior players or getting the youngsters in, ultimately the only thing that can keep you in that dressing room is the performance."

Mark Waugh is presenting Baggy Green No.469 to Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster who makes his debut.

A win for Australia here in Sydney will secure them a spot in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June where South Africa await. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the fifth Test match between India and Australia, which will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting Friday. 

India must win in Sydney to tie the series 2-2 and avoid losing a Test series against Australia for the first time since 2015.

India coach Gautam Gambhir was asked if out-of-form captain Rohit Sharma would play in the SCG Test and said the team would look at the pitch and finalise the XI on game day.