Team India arrived at the Sydney Airport (Source: @Hello_anuj/X.com)
The Indian cricket team has arrived at their final destination for 2024, Sydney, where they will play the fifth and final Test against Australia at the famous Sydney Cricket Ground from 3 January, Friday. The video shows Indian team arriving at the airport alongside coach Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar.
While the visuals did not show Virat Kohli, however other Indian stars like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan and more were seen stepping onto the team bus for the hotel. The upcoming match is a do-or-die clash for the Rohit Sharma led side, who now must win the final Test match in order to stay in the race for the WTC Final.
Team India In Sydney
Can India Make it To WTC Final?
After South Africa was the first team to qualify for the 2023-25 WTC final, India and Australia are locked in a gripping contest. Having moved a step nearer to retaining the WTC title after their win in the MCG Test, Australia is now looking to avenge their consecutive series losses at home. India, led by a standout performance from Jasprit Bumrah, can only level the series in the final Test, retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and keep their hopes alive for the WTC final.
India Crushed By Australia At MCG
In the MCG Test, Australia’s debutant Sam Konstas impressed with a dominant performance against Bumrah. Steven Smith scored a century, and Pat Cummins contributed heavily both with bat and ball, setting a massive total. India struggled, with top-order batters falling cheaply, but Nitish Kumar Reddy’s maiden Test century and support from Washington Sundar kept them in the game.
India nearly threw it away on Day 4 as Bumrah and Siraj mounted pressure on Australia at 91/6, but Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan Lyon's resistance pushed the game further. On Day 5, India's top-order caves in, and a promising tie between Pant and Jaiswal could not be capitalized on as Pant's terrible error let Australia win eventually. However Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's captaincy received a lot of criticism as India has failed to win a Test in the last six Tests.