Ravichandran Ashwin scores the match winner for Australia in the Test series win against India

Indiajourney towards securing a place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023-2025 ended when they suffered a series defeat against Australia in Sydney earlier this month. The defeat sealed the series 1-3 in favor of the hosts, also marking Australia’s triumphant return to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. Adding to India’s woes, this defeat came after a demoralizing 3-0 run New Zealandputting their WTC campaign in jeopardy. India needed a win or at least a draw in the five-match series to stay in contention for the WTC finals, but Australia’s superior strategy and performance dashed their hopes.

Ravichandran Ashwin’s pick: a game-changing series

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwinthinking about the series, highlighted Scott Bolanda key role in Australia’s victory. Boland was not initially part of the playing 11, but was selected for the team because Josh Hazlewood’from injuries. Ashwin called Boland’s inclusion as “happiness” for Australia.

“Everyone said Pat Cummins had a great streak, but he struggled against left-handers. Australia was lucky to have Scott Boland in the team. Had Boland not played, India would have won the series. No offense to Josh Hazlewood; he is a fantastic bowler. But if they had continued with the same attack, we would have won. Boland’s deliveries to our left-handers were a major factor,” Ashwin asserted during a discussion on his YouTube channel.

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Outstanding game against India

Boland delivered an exceptional performance throughout the series, cementing his place as a key player in Australia’s bowling attack. In three games, Boland took 21 wickets at an incredible average of 13.19. Boland’s tactics around the neck and superb accuracy troubled the Indian left-handed batsmen, becoming a key factor in Australia’s success. His best result came in the final Test in Sydney, where he recorded a haul of 10 wickets, including crushing figures of 6/45. Boland also managed to dismiss India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli four times, showing his ability to adapt to high-pressure situations and exploit weaknesses.

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