Border Gavaskar Trophy ends 3-1: What went wrong for India?

If someone nudged an Indian fan who woke up in the wee hours of the morning in the December chill and asked what went wrong in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, it would likely lead to a lengthy rant. The five-match series, which spanned over a month, reflected a phase of Indian Test cricket that few would have imagined just three months ago. However, as it stands at the conclusion of the BGT, India has lost its hold on the trophy after a decade. The concluding phase of the 2023-25 WTC cycle saw India relinquishing many of their significant records in Test cricket. All of this combined to push the team out of contention for the WTC Final. Once considered sure-shot contenders in October, India has now fallen short against Australia and South Africa after three Test series. The team is currently left to grapple with the rubble of its once-dominant position in the longer format.

The collective failure of Indian batting order in the Border Gavaskar Trophy

Whatever has fared in the Border Gavaskar Trophy across the five matches has been unexpected. To win the opening Test in Perth, fresh off the back of a disheartening series whitewash, was not anticipated. However, the team led by Jasprit Bumrah exceeded expectations at the Optus Stadium, securing a commanding 285-run victory and imposing an early lead over the Kangaroos. Across the next four Tests, however, the BGT was reduced to a tale of India washing off the expectations set in the Perth Test.

The Indian batting order has hurt like a sore eye all over the run of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. With Jasprit Bumrah at the helm, it appeared like the bowling attack was building a perfect foundation every time. However, the inability of the Indian batters to bank on the foundation and set a victory over it ultimately cost India a decade-long record. The falter in the batsmen's form was evident straight from the Perth Test, where India fumbled to just 150 in the opening innings of the game. While tons by Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal sealed the deal in Perth, it went awry as the pink-ball Test in Adelaide arrived.

The fault in the Indian Stars

Despite a century to his name in the series, Virat Kohli is averaging a forgettable 23.79 in the BGT. Even more glaring is his absolute inability to leave the outside-off deliveries. Coming out to bat in nine innings, Kohli has been dismissed eight times by nicking a delivery running off the stump. By the time the Sydney Test, the last Border Gavaskar Trophy fixture, arrived, the script to claim Kohli's wicket was etched into the minds of the Australian pacers. Scott Boland, playing as an injury replacement for Josh Hazlewood, claimed Kohli four times across the series in the same manner of dismissal.

Rohit Sharma staged another issue for India down under as the team failed to find a reliable order up until the last moments of the series. After arriving past the Perth Test, Sharma took an appreciable decision of letting KL Rahul open the innings. The skipper set himself in the middle order. However, his form remained a mystery as the runs didn't flow from his bat. Across the Adelaide and Gabba Tests, which India lost and drew respectively, Sharma, batting in the middle order, collected just 3, 6, and 10 in three innings.

In a desperate attempt to find his form again, Sharma undid his initial decision to bat in the middle order. For the Boxing Day Test, Shubman Gill faced the ace, and KL Rahul slid down to bat at the No. 3 position, as Rohit Sharma returned to the opening spot. However, the shuffle didn't materialize into much as the captain could manage only a 3 and a 9 in the two innings at the MCG.

What unfolded after India lost the Boxing Day Test will be unforgettable for the fans. From nasty dressing room leaks to the skipper dropping himself, the ICT staged a remarkable drama. However, keeping the drama aside, India needed to retrospect on the collective failure of the batting lineup. Rohit Sharma sitting out of the Sydney Test might have been a sane decision given his form. However, Sharma was not the only one suffering. The likes of Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli didn't provide any respite. Moreover, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, all of whom had notable knocks at one point in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, were not consistent enough to write a victory for India.

India's pace department in the BGT: A redeeming ascpect in Border Gavaskar Trophy

The only thing appearing as a silver lining for the team was the pace department. Initially, it was only Jasprit Bumrah doing the heavy lifting. His numbers, an unmatched tally of 32 wickets across the five matches, brought him the Player of the Series accolade. However, by the end of the BGT, Mohammed Siraj also proved why his presence was crucial down under. The seamer scalped 20 of his own to complete 100 wickets in Tests. Moreover, Prasidh Krishna, joining the Sydney Test as an injury replacement for Akash Deep, proved his mettle as he claimed six wickets at the SCG, the third-highest for India after Bumrah and Siraj in the series. 

However, up until the last moment, India couldn't find that one perfect combination. Over the five matches, India first played Harshit Rana, then moved to Akash Deep as Bumrah and Siraj looked for a reliable third seam option. To make the muddle murkier, India tested among the spinners Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin before Ashwin announced his retirement and India went for the two-spinner team option.

Issues with India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy were many, with the batting struggle emerging as the highlight. However, now that India has lost the BGT and a chance to play in the 2025 WTC Cycle, questions are bound to arise on the leadership and the coaching staff headed by Gautam Gambhir. Under Gambhir, India has lost prestigious Test records, including remaining unbeaten in home Test series for 12 years and, until recently, keeping the mighty Kangaroos away from the BGT for 10 years.