Jasprit Bumrah was not on the field for the fourth innings of the fifth Test against Australia but was the star of the series with a display that will go down in history as he ended the series with 32 wickets in nine innings at a stunning average of 13.06 with three five-wicket hauls.

Bumrah took a nine-wicket haul twice in the series, having achieved the feat in both the first Test at Perth and the Boxing Day clash in Melbourne. The 31-year-old created history by beating Bishan Singh Bedi’s 47-year-old record for the most wickets in a Test series by an Indian bowler in an away series. Bedi had taken 31 scalps during India’s tour of Australia in 1977-78.

Bumrah’s incredible individual brilliance was awarded with the Player of the Series (POTS) award despite India’s 3-1 series victory. The 31-year-old was the highest wicket-taker from both teams in the series. Infact, the Indian star’s average is the second best after Richard Hadlee (12.15 in 1985) for a bowler who took more than 20 wickets in a Test series in Australia.

Bumrah wrote his name in the history books after becoming the first Indian in history to win a Player of the Series (POTS) in Australia, England, and South Africa. Bumrah won the elusive prize during India’s tour of England in 2022-23 when he took 23 wickets in five matches and finished as the highest wicket-taker. The star pacer also won the prize in South Africa last year with 12 wickets in two matches. He is the only Indian to win the POTS award in a Test series in the Rainbow Nation.

With his incredible feat in Australia, Bumrah has become the first Indian to win a POTS award in a Test series in three SENA (South Africa, England, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) nations.

Bumrah is only the second pacer after Brett Lee (2007-08) to win the MOTS award in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The 31-year-old also captained India in their sole victory at Perth. He also led the team in the final Test at Sydney before an injury cut short his involvement.

Team India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir wants everyone to play domestic cricket.

Speaking to reporters in Sydney after the conclusion of the fifth India-Australia Test at Sydney Cricket Ground, which the hosts won by 6 wickets on Sunday (January 5), Gambhir said, “I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket. That’s how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given.

Not only one game; if they are available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket as simply as it can get. If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players you want in Test cricket.”

Further Gautam Gambhir was asked about Andrew McDonald’s comments on India ‘intimidating’ Sam Konstas at the end of Day 1:

“It’s a tough sport played by tough men. You can’t be that soft.

“As simple as it can get. I don’t think there was anything intimidating about it.”

Senior Players including India captain Rohit Sharma had a prolonged lean patch. Kohli too struggled in the series and was caught in the slips as many as eight times.

Travis Head and Beau Webster have seen off a late India challenge to claim Border-Gavaskar Trophy honours and a spot in the World Test Championship 2025 Final at Lord’s.

The pair closed out a six-wicket win in the second session of day three.

Test debutant Beau Webster completed the chase with a boundary off Washington Sundar to finish on 39 not out in an impressive first appearance.

Individual accolades for Steve Smith have been put on hold meanwhile, with his dismissal on four earlier in the day leaving him stranded on 9999 Test runs.

A short delivery from Prasidh Krishna brought the man playing in his home Test undone, leaving Australia in a precarious position at 58/3 before the likes of Usman Khawaja (41), Head and Webster steadied the ship.

Earlier, Australia cleaned up the India tail, dismissing the tourists for 157.

Scott Boland finished with a six-wicket haul, including Jasprit Bumrah, who batted in spite of a back injury

The fifth-Test skipper did not walk out with the rest of the team for Australia’s second innings.

India resumed day three at 141/6, with Cummins drawing a Ravindra Jadeja (13) edge to wicket-keeper Alex Carey, before beating the defences of Washington (12). Scott Boland claimed Mohammed Siraj (4) for his fifth-wicket at the other end.

Bumrah bowled one over after lunch on day two, with speeds down in the 125kph range. He then left the ground in India training gear to undergo scans, with fellow quick Prasidh Krishna at the post-day press conference stating that he had been dealing with back spasms.

The 31-year-old had bowled 152.1 across the nine series innings before walking off, picking up 32 wickets at 13.06, passing Bishan Bedi’s record for most wickets taken by an India bowler on a tour of Australia.

An Australian win would seal a 3-1 series win and a spot in the Lord’s WTC25 Final, with India honours ensuring a 2-2 series result and a retention of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. They too would still be alive for the June Final, though would need results on Australia’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka to go their way.

On day two, a stunning solo mission from Rishabh Pant pushed back on Australia’s fast bowling press, though the hosts ended play the stronger, in large part thanks to a four-wicket haul for Scott Boland.

India enjoyed phases of the second day on top, though the wickets of Pant (61 from 33 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (4) late in proceedings swung things back for the hosts

Batting at No.5, struggling to find a partner to accompany him and on a lively wicket where 15 wickets fell on day two , Pant countered, racing to a 29-ball fifty, a ball shy of equalling his own record for the fastest Test half-century by an India men’s batter.

The wicket-keeper/batter fell looking to cut Australian skipper Pat Cummins, edging to Alex Carey for a regulation catch.

Nitish then miscued a drive to the skipper late in the day off the bowling of Scott Boland, leaving Ravindra Jadeja (8 not out) and Washington Sundar (6 not out) to see out the day.

Jadeja had gifted Australia a chance for his wicket, though Steve Smith misjudged a slips catch off the bowling of debutant Beau Webster in the day’s dying embers.

Attention will centre on Smith in Australia’s batting innings, with the right-hander needing just five runs to reach the 10,000 Test run mark.