Australia registered a thumping win over India in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 to clinch the series 3-1.
It was a clinical performance from the hosts who came back strongly after the defeat in the first Test at Perth.
Australia make it to the World Test Championship Final
With this win, Australia have made it to the World Test Championship Final where they will face South Africa at Lord’s from June 11, 2025. It is Australia’s second successive WTC Final after they made it to the summit clash last time and even lifted the title.
However, the result of this match also means that India are now officially out of the race to qualify for the WTC Final. It was also their last match in this cycle and it will be for the first time that they won’t make it to the WTC Final.
Social media was flooded with disappointment after India’s failure to reach the WTC Final for the first time. The fans blasted head coach Gautam Gambhir and the captain Rohit Sharma and blamed them for the huge disappointment.
Watch: Virat Kohli brutally mocks Aussies with sandpaper gesture after Jasprit Bumrah faces false accusations
Twitter reacts to India’s failure to qualify for WTC Final
AUSTRALIA QUALIFIED INTO THE WTC FINAL…!!!! 🏆
– It’s Australia vs South Africa at Lord’s. pic.twitter.com/oD4DGNIQhR
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 5, 2025
🚨 INDIA ARE NOW OUT OF THE WTC FINAL CONTENTION…!!!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/7o5HIKqXV2
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 5, 2025
Failed to qualify for WTC final for the first time in history 🔥#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/bCbidZ5HB8
— S (@kingslanding_18) January 5, 2025
🚨 If we would have won this match –
We wouldn’t have lost the series.
The series would’ve been draw 2-2.
We would have retained BGT.
We could’ve played the ICC WTC Final.This was the biggest match of this WTC cycle but we lost it miserably. pic.twitter.com/inRHEoI5LM
— Vishal. (@SPORTYVISHAL) January 5, 2025
India is now out of the race for the WTC final…!!!! 🚨
And the credit for this goes to#GautamGambhir, apart from him #RohitSharma𓃵 , #ViratKohli𓃵 ,#Gill, #KLRahul #Siraj, #RAVINDRAJADEJA for their helpless performance#INDvAUS
Without Bumrahpic.twitter.com/duksckNP8x— Rahul Gupta (@RahulGu04197245) January 5, 2025
After Gautam Gambhir becomes Head Coach
– After 12yrs Lost Home Test series against New Zealand
– After 12Yrs Lost BGT Test Series against Australia
– India couldn’t qualify for WTC Final first time since its introduction pic.twitter.com/6ufAFrmMVf— Prakash (@definitelynot05) January 5, 2025
Jaiswal gave all timer year in tests, carried this batting line up whole year, topping every single runs chart, ended BGT as top scorer for them at age of 23 only to be missing out on final.
First WT20, now WTC final and then no CT feel most probably 💔 pic.twitter.com/1qzS6s3GlU— R (@Jais_era) January 5, 2025
– A Home Series Whitewash
– A BGT Series Loss After 10 Years
– Failed to Reach WTC Final For The 1st TimeWhat went wrong all of a sudden?
— Kanav Bali (@Concussion__Sub) January 5, 2025
Tuta hai WTC final ka ghamand 😭💔 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/LdqhkuHbwT
— Jyoti thakur (@Tissa__vaasi) January 5, 2025
Two and a half months ago:
– India were invincible at home, had built an insane record over 12 years
– Held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for 10 years
– Were locked in to make a third straight WTC final.How things can change in cricket… #INDvAUS
— Saurabh Somani (@saurabh_42) January 5, 2025
It is not just Team India’s defeat, it is the country’s defeat.
We lost the WTC Final, World Cup Final and Border Gavaskar Trophy to Australia under the leadership of the same captain.
Why has he not announced his retirement ?#INDvAUSpic.twitter.com/Ak0xvYHdn8
— SOMAN18 (@Shreyasian96) January 5, 2025
Australia put on a dominating display
The match was in equal terms at the start of the day with India 145 runs ahead with four wickets remaining. However, Australian bowlers put in an attacking display of fast bowling and bundled India out for just 157 in the second innings.
The Men in Blue could add just 16 runs to their tally, thus leaving Australia with a target of 162 runs to win. The hosts started in a blistering fashion with the opener Sam Konstas going after the bowling straight away. However, he lost his wicket in this process to Prasidh Krishna.
Krishna struck twice and dismissed Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in quick succession to bring India back into the game. But Usman Khawaja and Travis Head used all their experience and steadied the ship. Khawaja was dismissed by Siraj for a well-made 41 as India saw some hope.
But the debutant Beau Webster combined with Head to take Australia to a comfortable win in the end. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah in the second innings played a big part as well. With this win, Australia not only reached the WTC Final but have also regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
