Sydney Cricket Ground Pitch Report For India Vs Australia 5th Test

Muskaan Bhatt∙ Updated: Jan 3 2025, 8:57 AM

Sydney Cricket Ground [Source: @scg/x.com]Sydney Cricket Ground [Source: @scg/x.com]

India now proceeds towards the fifth and final Test match against Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, scheduled on Friday, 3rd January. Following the gut-wrenching outing of almost the entire Indian cricket team except a handful players, the upcoming Test match is expected to feature some significant changes.

While Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Akash Deep has been ruled out of the final game of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), he did not confirm Rohit's chances in the playing XI. However, it was only a matter of time when Rohit announced that he would be opting out of the fifth Test in Sydney. This further gaslighted the reports indicating that the Indian skipper could retire from the longest format of the game. 

In his place, Shubman Gill will be included in India's line-up as they aim to tie the series and retain the BGT. While the chances for India's qualification for the World Test Championship Final (WTC) seem bleak, the visitors must be hell-bent on giving it their all in this final game under the leadership and guidance of Jasprit Bumrah.

While the two prepare to navigate through the challenges, let us take a look at the ground stats, pitch report and the players to watch out for in the upcoming mega-clash:

Sydney Cricket Ground Stats and Records

Criteria
Data
Matches played 112
Matches won batting first 47
Matches won batting second
42
Average 1st innings score 320
Average runs per over2.89

The ground stats and records of the Sydney Cricket Ground reveal that 112 matches have been played at this venue. Out of these games, 47 have been won by the teams batting first whereas 42 encounters have been won by the teams chasing. The average first innings score is 320 whereas average runs per over are 2.89.

Sydney Cricket Ground Pitch Report: Is It Batting Or Bowling Friendly?

The pitch of the Sydney Cricket Ground is expected to offer considerable seam movement to the fast bowlers on the first day as the pitch curator had revealed that he will try to lock in some moisture by watering the wicket, with hot weather prevailing in Sydney. 

The wicket usually offers pace and bounce, hence once the batters are well set on the pitch they will be able to take advantage of the conditions. However, as the pitch gets worn out it is expected to provide assistance to the spinners. Hence, spinners of both the teams will be crucial in deciding the fate of the game especially after Day 3. Looking at the stats and considering the playing conditions, the team winning the toss would likely opt to bat first. 

Players To Watch Out For At Sydney Cricket Ground

  • Steve Smith: Coming out from his cocoon, Smith has been in terrific form. He has scored back-to-back tons heading into this clash and the right-handed batter has a tremendous record at SCG where he averages more than 70. He is expected to once again cause massive troubles to Team India.
  • Nathan Lyon: As mentioned, the SCG has historically shown its affections towards spinners, hence, Lyon could prove to be a significant threat to the visitors. Lyon, who has 124 scalps, the most wickets ever in the BGT, could once again bring his classical off-spin magic to the play.
  • Jasprit Bumrah: The Bumrah magic has defied all odds as he has been the only player from the Indian side to step up and deliver consistently in difficult situations. From picking up 30 wickets and bagging three fifers in the last four Tests, the right-arm fast bowler is expected to unleash hell on the Aussie batters in the upcoming clash too.
  • Yashasvi Jaiswal: The world is lucky enough to witness a match-winner in making as the 22-year-old young-gun has performed tremendously well for the Indian team. The highest run-getter for India in this series, Jaiswal has tackled the threats of Starc-Cummins-Lyon very effectively. Hence, he is expected to give a tough fight for his team once again in the last Test match of the series.