The SCG track was “not ideal” for a Test match, according to batting great Sunil Gavaskar but India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised the wicket as “spicy” and “result-oriented”, which had something for everyone. As many as 26 wickets fell on the first two days while four Indians and as many Australians were dismissed on day three as bowlers largely dominated the proceedings. “It’s been some really nice wickets. It’s good for Test cricket as well. There was enough for the bowlers, and there was enough for the batters as well. But that is what’s going to keep Test cricket alive,” Gambhir said during the press conference after India lost the fifth Test.

“And this was not the typical Sydney wicket, what we normally are used to or we’ve seen in the past as well. But then this is how Test cricket needs to be played. Result-oriented wickets. I know we talk a lot about when we go back home about turning wickets, but this was as spicy as probably what we get back home.”

Gavaskar, however, had criticised the SCG track during the final session on Saturday.

“When I saw the pitch, I did say the cows could have gone and grazed on it,” Gavaskar said on ABC Sport.

“This is not the ideal Test match pitch that you want because you want it to go into the fourth or the fifth day. Unless there is rain, I don’t see us being here on day four.”

Gavaskar said it would have attracted criticism from Australian and England cricketers if a similar wicket had been provided in India.

“All hell would have broken loose. There would have been all kinds of innuendos, all sorts of comments about ‘Is this a good pitch?'” he said.

“Even former players who played on this pitch before were so surprised. We had Glenn McGrath saying he’d never seen that much grass on the pitch. The point is, when you go overseas, you have to be prepared to play on the surface.”

We are not moaners, we are not whingers

The 75-year-old former batter also criticised former players for complaining about tough Indian pitches.

“Over the years, have you ever heard a former Indian cricketer complain about conditions? They accept that’s what playing overseas is all about,” Gavaskar said.

“We are not moaners, we are not whingers. When we go (abroad) and play cricket, we will tough it out, and if we are beaten, we are beaten. We understand that overseas it’s very difficult to beat home teams. You’ll never find us complaining.

“But 15 wickets in a day in India, man, there would be hell.”

Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar believes the green pitch at the fast-moving ongoing fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground would be questioned if the game was played in India, adding that the surface dishing out is not ideal for playing longer format games. After 11 wickets fell on day one’s play, day two yielded 15 wickets. India, after bowling out Australia for 181, took a four-run first-innings lead and reached 141/6 at stumps, with the overall lead standing at 145.

“If 15 wickets fell (on one day) in India, all hell would have broken loose. We had Glenn McGrath saying he’d never seen so much grass. Did you hear any former India cricketer moan about the pitch?”

“Former (Australian and English cricketers are) all the time talking about Indian pitches and conditions. We are not moaners, we are not whingers. You will never find us complaining. But 15 wickets in a day in India, man that would be hell.”

“When we go out and play cricket we will toughen it out. And if we are beaten, we are beaten. Overseas it’s very difficult to beat home teams. I did say that when we saw the pitch yesterday, the cows could have gone and grazed on it.”

“This is not the ideal Test match pitch that you want because you want it to go into a fourth and fifth day. Unless there is rain I don’t see us being here on day four,” said Gavaskar on ABC Grandstand Radio after day two’s play ended.

Scott Boland shone yet again by picking 4-42 on day two, after clinching figures of 4-31 on day one. He also got Virat Kohli out twice in the match, which means Boland has taken out the talismanic batter four times in the series.

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey said he was pleased for Boland coming good at Sydney. “He’s challenging the batters, putting the ball in the right area on wickets like this. He’s just creating so much for us.”

“He’s a different bowler to maybe Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood where he’s a little bit shorter, a little bit skinnier where potentially more balls can hit the top of the stumps. He’s getting his opportunity now and it’s not surprise to the playing group how good he is. We love his energy,” Carey said.

India may have lost the crucial Boxing Day contest by 184 runs but all is not lost as far as their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final are concerned. To qualify for the final, India must win the last Test of the series against Australia at Sydney, and then hope for a positive result for Sri Lanka (or a 0-0 draw) when Australia tour the island national early next year. Post the loss, India’s point percentage (PCT) has dropped to 52.78 from 55.89. Australia, on the other hand boosted their PCT as they now have 61.46.

South Africa have already qualified for the WTC final after beating Pakistan in the first Test by two wickets on Sunday.

If India manage to win in Sydney, they will have 55.26 PCT and Australia will have 54.26. A win out of two Tests against Sri Lanka then would be enough for Australia to go past India’s PCT and join the Proteas in the final.

India began the 2024/25 season in a rampant fashion, securing a confident 2-0 win over Bangladesh at home.

The script that followed was, however, not according to their plans. The side suffered an unprecedented historic loss to New Zealand at home, before embarking on a challenging tour of Australia.

Under stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, the Men in Blue rekindled their hopes for a third straight appearance in the WTC Final, with a win in the opening Test in Perth.

However, the side has since gone on to lose two games in Australia, and their WTC chances have taken a significant hit.

But Australia’s compelling win in the final session here has improved their chances of a World Test Championship 2025 final appearance, with the side now just one more Test win away from making it to Lord’s next year.

Earlier in Centurion’s Boxing Day Test, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen‘s stunning partnership took South Africa to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test, confirming their spot at next June’s final.

While Australia are out in front as claimants to the second spot, India are still in with a chance. Sri Lanka too are alive, but both will need a string of favourable results to keep their hopes alive.