Scott Boland has continued his brilliant summer, picking up four wickets with Australia bowling India out for 185 on day one at the SCG.
Needing a win to guarantee their spot in the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June, Australia lost the toss and were asked to bowl by new Indian captain Jasprit Bumrah, despite the wicket showing an uncharacteristically green tinge.
But it was Boland who stole the show, offering a number of damaging and measly spells throughout the day to finish with figures of 4/31.
Remarkably, his 11 career wickets at the SCG so far come at an increble 8.81, whilst he now has 50 career wickets at less 19. No Australian bowler has been more stingy for their wickets since the days of uncovered test pitches.
He was ably assisted by his fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc (3/49), Pat Cummins (2/37) and Nathan Lyon (1/19).
After Starc picked up opener KL Rahul, caught at square leg from a lazy flick, Boland dismissed Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal with his fourth ball of his first over, snicking off to debutant Beau Webster at third slip.
It kept up the Gulidjan fast bowler's habit of taking a wicket with his first over of a spell, which has now happened a remarkable 24 per cent of the time.
Two wickets in two balls for Boland! 🤯
ðŸ"º Watch #AUSvIND LIVE on ch. 501 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/RNRSOjRNn2
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/GBPpNV74pQ
ðŸ"¢ MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/CB9R2rYoXF pic.twitter.com/I38SFdXkjs
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) January 3, 2025
More drama was to follow the next ball under grey skies which threatened to swamp India's final match of the five Test tour.
Virat Kohli - out of form and greeted with boos following an acrimonious shoulder charge at debutant Sam Konstas at the Boxing Day test last week - edged Boland's probing delivery low to Steve Smith's right at second slip.
The former captain flicked the ball up into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne in the cordon, with the Australian team ecstatic as they completed a small lap of celebration around the square.
However third umpire Joel Wilson ended celebrations early, controversially ruling the ball had grazed the turf between Smith getting his hand to the ball and scooping it up.
Despite Smith and the Australian players' obvious displeasure, the Indian superstar survived.
Along with the recalled Shubman Gill, the two Indian batters took the tourists to the cusp of lunch. However, as so often has happened to them throughout this series after their victory in Perth, a brain fade brought about a dismissal.
Gill, who had taken his time and looked comfortable, advanced to Lyon in the last over before lunch, edging to Smith at first slip, leaving India reeling at 3/57.
This turned into 4-72 after lunch when Boland had Kohli a length ball which seamed away slightly, catching his edge and into the safe hands of Webster, ending his painstaking 69-ball knock on 17.
It means Boland has dismissed Kohli four times in only five test matches.
Batters dismissed the most by Scott Boland:
- Joe Root (four times, five matches)
- Virat Kohli (four times, five matches)https://t.co/62ZjPEw7RL #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/gqCbFMw1xc
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 3, 2025
As feisty 'keeper Rishabh Pant and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja slowly built the innings, it seemed as if Boland's luck had deserted him, beating both players edge and having Jadeja dropped in the slips by Smith from an edge that hit him in the midriff.
But after tea, in front of the biggest first day crowd in Sydney since 1976, all his new years wishes came to the fore.
First Pant, so often a thorn in Australia's side, misjudged the length of a Boland short ball and could only sky a pull shot to Cummins at wide mid-on.
Next ball, it was Nitish Kumar Reddy, the century maker from Melbourne and India's find of the series, who advanced to Boland and nicked through to the slips, giving Smith his 194 catch in test cricket.
The Victorian was millimetres away from a hat trick, when his ball to Washington Sundar beat the bat, to the dismay of the capacity crowd.
The afternoon then got worse for India, first when Jadeja was found plumb in front by Starc, ending a tortuous 95-ball innings on 25. This was followed by Sundar, who was controversially caught down the leg side by Alex Carey.
Despite the on-field decision being not out, third umpire Wilson this time ruled in Australia's favour, much to the dismay of Sundar.
After a few blows by the tail as the light of the innings began to fade, it was Starc getting Krishna caught in the deep, and then Cummins, having Bumrah caught by the big left armer at mid wicket, who wrapped up the innings.
Australia lost Usman Khawaja to the last ball of the day to leave them 1-9 as the shadows closed in, but it was the cult hero Boland who was the star on a day when Australia looked to wrestle back control of the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
