BGT 2024-25: Key Factors Behind India’s MCG Test Defeat

Since the beginning of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy BGT 2024-25 test in Adelaide Australia has been in the driving seat of the series. They have so far won two matches while losing one with one match still to play. India and Australia battled out a fascinating test match at the MCG which was brought to a finish with just under an hour to play on the fifth day of the game.

The hosts were ahead from the very beginning of the game and Sams Konstas struck the half-century in the first half of the game. Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland all contributed well for Australia to dominate India. India tried to make a comeback with a stellar performance from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jasprit Bumrah but there was no team effort. Now let’s have a look at the mistakes that cost India the match at the MCG.

1. Australia's Lower-Order Adds Vital Runs

In both the Australian innings, India let the last few wickets score a good number of runs. In the first innings, Smith and Cummins came up with 112 runs for the seventh wicket. In the second innings, Cummins and Labuschagne made 57 runs for the seventh wicket and Boland and Lyon made 61 runs for the tenth wicket. These were the turning points as Australia won by 184 runs.

2. Batsmen's Self-Destruction in the Final Half-Hour of Day 2

The third wicket partnership of 102 runs between Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal was going well at the pitch of 158 balls and then things started happening. Jaiswal was run out before Kohli, he played a ball that was pitched outside the off stump and tried to defend it but it hit the edge of the bat. Akash Deep, the nightwatchman couldn’t hold off the onslaught of the last few overs either. It was a disastrous show from India as they lost three wickets in six runs and thus let go of the chance to amass a huge first-innings total.

3. Collapse in the Final Session of Day 5

India could have still been able to save the test match as the wicket was still a good one for batting. Pant and Jaiswal were batting through the second session on the fifth day, but Pant’s mistake of going after part-timer Travis Head cost India dearly. Pant’s dismissal led to the collapse: India from 121/3 to 155 all-out, with 12.5 overs left in the match.