BGT 2024-25: 5 biggest positives for India despite test series loss in Australia

The senior batsmen were a huge letdown for India but a few youngsters made a terrific impression.

The Indian cricket team couldn’t make a hat-trick of test series wins in Australia as they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 by scoreline of 3-1. Not only this result meant that they lost their grip on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but also it ended their chances of reaching a third ICC WTC final in a row.

This series saw the end of the career of Ravi Ashwin, while a couple of more senior players might be on their way out of the test arena by the end of this year.

India remained competitive in this series on the back of Jasprit Bumrah’s surreal form, while a few other players chipped in with important contributions. While the senior batsmen were disappointing, there were others who were fared impressively and were the positives for the visitors.

BGT 2024-25: 5 biggest positives for India despite test series loss in Australia

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

In his first test tour to Australia, Yashasvi Jaiswal exceeded expectations by finishing as the second-highest scorer of the series. On a series where the pitches were pace-friendly and the new Kookaburra ball really challenging to deal with, Jaiswal scored 391 runs at an average of 43 with one century and two fifties. His hundred in Perth helped India in their 295-run victory.

After several tests of dominance at home, Jaiswal showed why he is touted as one of the best young talent in the world with terrific returns in Australia.

2. Nitish Kumar Reddy

Trusted to play the seam-bowling all-rounder’s role in his debut test series, Nitish Kumar Reddy had the second-best batting average in the Indian team. He scored 298 runs at an average of 37. He hit a memorable century in Melbourne while batting with Washington Sundar and tailenders and recorded three scores in the 40s.

Reddy picked up five wickets in the series. He admitted his bowling needs improvement, but the 21-year-old can’t be faulted after being entrusted with the fourth pacer’s role, which he clearly isn’t yet developed in.

3. Rishabh Pant silences his doubters finally, shows his method works for him

After copping the “Stupid Stupid Stupid” criticism for his failures in Melbourne, Rishabh Pant showed both sides of his game in Sydney with 40 (98) and 61 (33) on a treacherous pitch.

Pant’s blast in the second innings in Sydney vindicated his method of playing. He’s not hailed India’s greatest test keeper-batsman for nothing. It was because of his knocks that India were in the game.

Pant proved once again why his natural style of batting should be backed more and not curbed.

4. Mohammed Siraj the workhorse

While he may not get the recognition, Mohammed Siraj’s efforts in this series were monumental. He picked up 20 wickets – more than Mitchell Starc – and bowled 157 overs, more than Starc and Bumrah and only 10 less than Cummins.

It’s hard to imagine how much better Mohammed Shami could have fared here than Siraj. Although having Shami as a second seamer would have eased the pressure on both Bumrah and Siraj.

Since the start of 2023, Siraj has bowled 683 overs in international cricket, the third-most among the pacers in the world and the most for India. Yet, he’s remained fit and bowled spells after spells on this tour with high energy and passion.

5. Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Harshit Rana do well in patches

The major lacking area in India’s bowling department in this series was the quality of the third seamer. While Australia had Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, for India, the likes of Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Harshit Rana couldn’t back up Bumrah’s works well.

All three of them did bowl some menacing spells – Rana in Perth, Deep in Brisbane, and Krishna in Sydney. To note is that this was the maiden test series for all three of them in Australia. That they did well in patches is still a positive for India as it allowed the side to fight back.

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