Picking the best playing 11 from BGT 2024-25 after Australia win 3-1 ft. Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins
Australia emerged victorious in Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 by a margin of 3-1. Team India demolished Australia in Perth in the first Test. The hosts, however, bounced back strongly in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney by seizing crucial moments and emerging victorious in the said Tests.
The crowds turned out in large numbers to support both the teams and BGT 2024-25 was an excellent advertisement for Test cricket.
On that note, here is a look at the best playing XI from BGT 2024-25:
Top order - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Marnus Labuschagne
The Indian batting duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are the openers of this playing XI.
Jaiswal on his maiden tour Down Under impressed one and all with his temperament and ability to score runs on difficult batting wickets. He scored 391 runs across 10 innings in the series at an average of 43.44 and had a match-winning century in Perth (161).
The 23-year-old also scored twin half-centuries in Melbourne and ended as the second-highest run-getter in the series. He was fearless against the Aussie quicks and impressed one and all with his batting skills.
KL Rahul averaged 30.66 in BGT 2024-25 and scored 276 runs in 10 innings. He started the series well and scored 26 and 77 in the Perth Test. He added 201 runs with Jaiswal in the second innings of the Perth Test and guided India to a historic win. Rahul also scored a half-century in Brisbane (84) in the first innings. He also picked up some crucial catches in the series.
Marnus Labuschagne played a couple of crucial knocks for Australia in the series. He scored a brilliant 64 in Adelaide in the second Test. His knocks of 72 and 70 in Melbourne ensured that the hosts won the Test against India. Whenever Labuschagne scored runs, Australia won the said matches and his knocks were crucial in the host's 3-1 win in BGT 2024-25.
Middle-order - Steve Smith, Travis Head, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Alex Carey (wicket-keeper)
Steve Smith failed to create an impact in Perth and Adelaide and questions were raised about his place in the Australian Test team. The Aussie batter, however, silenced all his critics by scoring two hundreds in the next two Tests i.e. in Brisbane and Melbourne.
While the rest of the Australian batters struggled against Jasprit Bumrah, Smith played Bumrah well in the said two Tests and ended as the third-highest run-getter in BGT 2024-25 (314 runs). His knock of 140 in Melbourne ensured that Australia were always on the front foot in the Boxing Day Test.
Travis Head continued to torment Indian bowlers in BGT 2024-25. He was the the highest run-getter in the series across both teams. The Aussie middle-order batter amassed 448 runs at an impressive average of 56 and scored two centuries and one half-century in the series. His innings of 140 in Adelaide and 152 in Brisbane were the highlights of the series.
Nitish Kumar Reddy impressed one and all in his debut Test series. He announced his arrival on the big stage by scoring a famous century (114) in the Boxing Day Test. He also scored 41 and 38* in Perth (his debut Test) and guided India to a win.
He was unperturbed by the Aussie quicks and scored 298 runs in the series, the second-highest for Team India in BGT 2024-25. Reddy also picked up five wickets with the ball in the series.
Alex Carey was an asset for Australia in the lower middle-order and was flawless behind the stumps. He scored a crucial 70 in the Brisbane Test. Overall, the keeper-batter scored 216 runs in BGT 2024-25 and his runs were handy lower down the order. Carey also picked up 19 catches and affected two stumpings during BGT 2024-25 and is the first choice keeper in this playing XI.
Lower Order - Pat Cummins (Captain), Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, and Scott Boland
Pat Cummins had the perfect series and will be the skipper of this playing XI. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in BGT 2024-25 and picked up 23 wickets at an average of 22.65. He also scored crucial runs for Australia with the bat (49 and 41) in Melbourne and was spot-on with his captaincy moves. He picked up the crucial wicket of Rishabh Pant four times during the series.
Though Mohammed Siraj picked up more wickets than Mitchell Starc, the latter had a better bowling average and makes it to this playing XI. He scalped 18 wickets against Siraj's 20.
Starc bowled at an average of 28.66. The left-hander was brilliant with the pink ball in the Adelaide Test and picked up six wickets in India's first innings. He was consistent with the new ball right through the series and got the better of KL Rahul four times and Jaiswal thrice in the series.
Jasprit Bumrah was a one-man army for Team India with the ball. The pacer bagged 32 wickets at an astounding average of 13.06 with the ball and made the ball talk right through the series. Be it a new ball or an old ball, he picked up a wicket almost every time he bowled. He was named the Player of the Series of BGT 2024-25.
Bumrah's injury badly affected Team India during the Sydney Test. A fully fit Bumrah in all likelihood would have been a force on that wicket and the result would have been different had the Indian pacer bowled in the fourth innings of the Test.
Scott Boland was a part of all three matches that Australia won during BGT 2024-25. He picked up 21 wickets across three Tests at an impressive average of 13.19 and was the third-highest wicket-getter in the series. He was brilliant with his line and length and the Indian batters struggled against the Aussie bowler. The 35-year-old picked up the wicket of Virat Kohli four times in the three Tests he played. He was named the Player of the Match in Sydney for his 10 wickets across the two innings.