Australia beat India by 184 runs on Day 5 of the MCG Test, Melbourne on Monday (Dec 30) to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Chasing 340, in the fourth and penultimate tie, India managed 155 with only Yashasvi Jaiswal (84) showing resistance in the middle before a controversial call adjudged him out. India's top-order struggle continued as their hopes of playing the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, in June 2025, keeps fading away. For Pat Cummins-led Australia, the win marked their first versus India at the G and keeps them on course to meet South Africa in the WTC finale.

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Day 5 of the MCG Test kicked off with Australia adding six more runs to their score bundling out for 234, setting a 340-run target. The last-wicket stand between Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland added 61 to frustrate India before Bumrah cleaned up Lyon. Bumrah claimed his third five-fer of the series. He now has 30 wickets in 2024-25 BGT; most by miles. In addition, Bumrah became the first pacer to claim 30 wickets in a BGT (second overall after Harbhajan Singh's 32 in 2001).

Moreover, Bumrah became the first visiting bowler to take 30 wickets in a Test series in Australia since West Indies great Curtly Ambrose (in 1992-93). Also, he is only the second Indian to touch the 30-wicket mark after spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi. Bedi achieved the feat during India's 1967-68 tour of Australia.

Also read: BGT: 'Kohli can play 3 to 4 more years, for Rohit....' - Shastri on Indian duo's Test future after flop show in MCG Test

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Top order struggles and fielding lapses cost India

Talking about the MCG Test, India opted to bowl first but Steve Smith's 140, fifties from debutant Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and lower-order's vital contributions, headed by skipper Pat Cummins (49), took the hosts to 474. In reply, India's famed batters -- Rohit, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, etc. -- fell flat but Nitish Reddy's 114 and Washington Sundar's 50 took India to 369.

Buoyed by Reddy and Sundar's fightback, India reduced Australia to 91-6, with their overall lead being 196. Bumrah once again led the charge with the ball but also found rare support from the other end, with Mohammed Siraj looking in good rhythm. However, Marnus Labuschagne's 70, Cummins and Lyon's 41 apiece took Australia to 234, also courtesy of India giving plenty of lifelines with several fielding errors.

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India had a chance to save the Test match but the likes of Rohit and Kohli failed once again. Jaiswal led the charge but fell short of partners before eventually losing his wicket. The left-hander pulled a delivery off Cummins and was given out, caught-behind. While there was no spike on the Real Time Snickometer (RTS), the side-on replays showed it hit the gloves. Eventually, visual evidence was enough to overturn the decision. Jaiswal, thus, ended the year with the most Test runs by an Indian, second overall -- 1,478.

The MCG Test also scripted history, with 350,700 spectators (a record attendance) flocking to the iconic venue during the course of the game.

The ongoing BGT series is in Australia's favour (with a 2-1 lead), however, India will be desperate to end at 2-2 with a win in the series finale, at the SCG, Sydney. If India succeeds, they will manage to retain the BGT once again, since 2016-17. For the Aussies, they are eager to regain the elusive trophy, having last won in 2014-15.

The final Test of the five-match series commences on Jan 3 (Friday) in Sydney.