Captain Pat Cummins enhances trophy cabinet with BGT triumph
What's the story
Australia have reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade, under the leadership of captain Pat Cummins.
The victory was sealed with a six-wicket win against India on Day 3 of the fifth Test in Sydney.
This is Australia's first series triumph over India since 2015, ending their 10-year wait for this prestigious trophy.
The Australian team successfully chased down a target of 162 runs set by India at the SCG.
Captain's contribution
Cummins's stellar performance in the series
Cummins led from the front and was brilliant throughout the series, contributing heavily to Australia's win.
As per ESPNcricinfo, was the second-highest wicket-taker across five Tests, with 25 wickets from five matches at an average of 21.36.
Apart from his bowling, Cummins also contributed with the bat, scoring 159 runs in eight innings with a top score of 49.
Match highlights
Cummins's key role in Melbourne and Adelaide victories
Cummins was instrumental in Australia's 184-run victory in Melbourne, scoring 49 and 41 in the two innings respectively, and also taking match figures of 6/117.
In the second Test at Adelaide, he took five wickets for just 57 runs in India's second innings.
This helped dismiss India for a paltry 175 and set up a 10-wicket victory for his side.
Leadership legacy
Cummins's golden run as Australian skipper
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory further embellishes Cummins's already-impressive captaincy record for Australia.
His successful run started with Australia winning their first World Test Championship title in 2023, beating India in the final.
The same year, Australia retained the Ashes in England under his leadership and won the ODI World Cup, beating India on their home soil.
Feat
Most wickets by a captain in BGT edition
As mentioned, India's decade-long stranglehold on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has ended with this series defeat.
Meanwhile, Cummins's tally of 25 scalps is the second-most for an Australian captain in a bilateral Test series against India.
Overall, Bishen Singh Bedi (31 wickets in 1977-78) and Richie Benaud (29 in 1959-60) are the only captains with more wickets than Cummins in an India-Australia Test series.
Cummins is also now the captain with the most wickets in a BGT edition.