India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continued his great form, picking up his 32nd wicket in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, before a back spasm laid him low on day 2 of the fifth and final Test in Sydney.
Bumrah, who dismissed Aussie opener Usman Khawaja off the final ball of the day yesterday, got Marnus Labuschagne to edge one to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant for two runs in the morning session.
With this, he went past Indian spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi's 47-year-old record of 31 wickets in a Test series against Australian on their soil. Bedi had achieved the feat in the 1977-78 series. The top five wicket-takers in series against Australia Down Under are:
32*: Jasprit Bumrah (2024-25)
31: Bishan Bedi (1977-78)
28: B.S. Chandrasekhar (1977-78)
25: E.A.S. Prasanna (1967-68)
25: Kapil Dev (1991-92)
However, Bumrah's injury has dealt a serious blow to the visitors as the Sydney Test is interestingly poised. The team is waiting for an update from the medical staff about his availability, pacer Prasidh Krishna said after the day's play today.
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Bumrah, who was the stand-in skipper for the Sydney Test in Rohit Sharma's absence, had left the field for scans during the second day's post-lunch session after bowling just one over. With the 31-year-old away from the field for three hours and 20 minutes, senior batter and former India skipper Virat Kohli led the side.
A lower back injury had kept Bumrah away from cricket for nearly one year, between 2022 and 2023.
Sydney Test heads for exciting finish
Indian batters, with the exception of Rishabh Pant, once again failed to rise to the occasion, as the visitors were reduced to 141/6, with the overall lead being 145, at stumps on day 2.
Despite widespread criticism for his aggressive style of play which resulted in him throwing away his wickets at crucial junctures in the series, Pant scored a spectacular 33-ball-61 to keep India afloat. The wicketkeeper-batter struck four sixes and six boundaries. But, Pant perished by the sword, edging the ball to Alex Carey while trying to attack a wide delivery from Pat Cummins.
How's that for a crowd catch at the SCG? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/uSWadbXNpP
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2025
The other batters found it difficult to face the Aussie pacers on a tricky pitch. Openers KL Rahul (13) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22) started well, but were both castled by Scott Boland (4/42). Virat Kohli (6) then lost his wicket on outside the off stump line for the eighth successive time in this series, to Boland. Shubman Gill (13) once again fell to an aggressive shot, falling to Beau Webster this time.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (4) became Boland's fourth victim, miscuing a length ball to Cummins at mid-off. Ravindra Jadeja (8*) and Washington Sundar (6*) are at the crease.
India will be looking to set a target of at least 175 runs, if not more, and to have a good chance of winning, the visitors would need the services of their best bowler of the series.
