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Australia’s dominating 6-wicket victory in the final Test of the five-match 2023 (BGT) Border Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney gave them the series 3-1 and helped set a number of individual and statistical milestones. Here’s a review of some of the most important statistics and records established during this final Test to cap off a very eventful series.
Third Shortest Test in Sydney History: A Rapid Conclusion
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The fifth Test between India and Australia was over in just 1141 balls (or 190.1 overs), which is the third shortest Test match played in Sydney’s long history dating back to 1888. The game was marked by aggressive cricket and quick decisions and finished in no time, making it one of the fastest finishes in the city’s Test history. Only two previous Tests have been shorter in duration, indicating how quickly the match developed and ended.
India’s Shortest Innings in Sydney: Just 673 Balls
India’s performance in the game was marked by a relatively short stay at the crease. India faced a total of 673 balls in this Test, which is the least number of balls India has played in a Sydney Test match. This reflects the failure of India to string together long innings, especially compared to previous efforts in Sydney Tests. For context, India’s previous shortest total in Sydney was 692 balls during the 1981 Test against Australia. The team’s inability to prolong their innings contributed to their downfall, making this defeat even more significant.
Australia’s Fastest Run Chase on Australian Soil
Australia’s chase of 162 runs on the final day was a remarkable one. They achieved the target at a run rate of 6 runs per over, the fastest run rate for a successful chase of 150 or more runs on Australian soil. Their aggressive batting, spearheaded by debutant Beau Webster and Travis Head, made Australia chase down the target in a rather comfortable and efficient manner. It stands as one of the most phenomenal chases ever in the recent history of Test cricket on Australian soil.
Scott Boland’s Outstanding Performance vs India
Scott Boland continued his imperious run of wickets with the ball in this series, too, and didn’t stop till the last test. Boland’s bowling average against India reads 16.00, a figure that towers above any bowler who took at least 15 wickets against India in the 21st century. His consistency and his ability to capitalize on the situations have made him stand out in Australia.
Boland’s fine bowling at the Sydney Test also saw him become the first fast bowler since 2003 to achieve a 10-wicket haul in a Test match at SCG, adding more depth to Australian cricket lore.
Steve Smith’s Near Miss of 10,000 Test Runs
Australian Steve Smith was unlucky to be left one run short of becoming only the 15th player in Test cricket history to cross 10,000 runs. He was given out for 9999 runs at the Sydney Test, an uncommon phenomenon in cricket history. It happened only the second time in the history of Test cricket when a batsman was given out for nine while one run short of 10,000 runs.
The first happened when Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardena was dismissed on 9999 against South Africa in 2011 at Centurion. Smith’s entry into the 10,000 club will be awaited with much eagerness, as he solidifies his legacy as one of Australia’s all-time greats.
India’s Failures: Ousted for Under 200 Seven Times
One of the most striking statistics from this series was India’s repeated failures to score more than 200 runs in an innings. India was bowled out for less than 200 runs a total of seven times throughout the series, matching the record for the most times a team has been dismissed for under 200 in a series against Australia. The West Indies had also been bowled out under 200 runs on seven occasions in the 2000-01 series. It was a pointer to India’s failure against the disciplined and potent bowling of Australia that put them under pressure throughout the series.
Jasprit Bumrah’s Struggles: A Large Gap in Bowling Averages
In this series, there was a huge difference between the performances of Jasprit Bumrah and the rest of India’s fast bowlers. The gap in bowling averages was 21.76 runs—meaning that Bumrah’s performance was far superior to his fellow pacers.
While Bumrah is one of the most feared fast bowlers in world cricket, this average suggests that it was a result of a lack of consistent support from his teammates and hence affected India’s overall performance in the series. The averages reveal the pressure he faced as India’s main fast bowler and the requirement of greater consistency by the supporting bowlers.
A Memorable and Historic Series
The final Test of the 2023 (BGT) Border Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney was a game that broke numerous records and added several significant statistics to the history of Test cricket. A six-wicket victory for Australia sealed a dominant series win, and the unique statistical milestones—from the third shortest Test in Sydney history to Australia’s record-breaking run chase—make this series one for the history books.
While brilliance can be found within the Indian outfit, the overall series has only exposed significant vulnerabilities in batting since their repeated collapse. On the other hand, Australia’s solid bowling attack was led by the impressive Scott Boland and they chased targets as quickly as they could to take away the opponent’s edge to show superiority on the field of play.
As both teams look back on this series, the statistical milestones will remind them of the challenges they faced and the remarkable feats they achieved. This (BGT) Border Gavaskar Trophy will go down as one of the most memorable and statistically unique series in recent Test cricket history.
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