IND vs AUS, 5th Test: Sydney pitch report, ground conditions, weather forecast, stats and records
IND vs AUS, 5th Test: Sydney pitch report, ground conditions, weather forecast, stats and records
India will be in a must-win situation on Friday when it starts the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Australia completed a sensational victory in the last Test in Melbourne, picking seven wickets in the final session of the contest to take an unassailable 2-1 lead.
India now needs to win the final game to not only to keep its 10-year hold on the trophy intact but also to stay in the hunt for the World Test Championship final.
The pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground is known for its batter-friendly conditions early in the match. However, as the match goes on spinners thrive with purchase on offer.
In the 27 matches at the venue since 2000, teams have scored 400 or more in their first innings on 23 occasions.
Teams are known to bat here in the fourth as well. The highest target chased at this ground is 288 by Australia in 2006 against South Africa. The last time India played it scored 334 runs in the fourth innings to force a draw.
In 27 matches since 200, pacers have accumulated 498 wickets at an average of 36.39. Spinners are not far behind in terms of average, getting 269 wickets at an average of 43.39.
The side winning the toss would want to opt for the conventional approach of winning the toss and batting first. However, there is no distinct advantage in doing that.
The teams winning the toss at the venue and batting first have won just 8 out of 25 games with seven ending in draws. Two teams have won the toss and opted to field, winning once and losing once.
