Cricket Badger Podcast · Cricket Badger Podcast

Australia take Sydney Test to take the Border Gavaskar Trophy from India

January 5, 2025·1 hr 11 min·4 clips

Sam Konstas’ shot selection is described as so extreme it shocked the hosts and rattled India.

1. Cricket Badger Podcast covers Australia’s Sydney Test win and the return of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from India. 2. James and Lucas host the discussion, with Lucas speaking as an Australia supporter and James pushing back on tactics and selection. 3. The episode asks why Australia’s plan for green-top pitches worked and what it means for the Ashes next winter. 4. Lucas says Pat Cummins called for more green tops months before the series and Australia got that kind of surface in all five Tests. 5. The hosts say the pitches helped fast bowlers dominate, with Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Jasprit Bumrah, and Pat Cummins taking wickets in difficult batting conditions. 6. James argues that India were robbed of a possible classic final day because Jasprit Bumrah did not bowl at full capacity. 7. Lucas says Bumrah finished with 32 wickets and deserved Player of the Series even in a losing cause. 8. Bo Webster’s debut becomes a major talking point after he bowls his overs, scores runs, and steadies Australia under pressure. 9. The hosts say Webster picked up his first Test wicket and looked calm enough to handle a chase with 80 runs still needed. 10. Scott Boland gets detailed praise for his 10 for 76 at the SCG and his ability to hit the same patch repeatedly. 11. Lucas says Boland was bowling faster than usual, reaching the high 130s and touching 140 km/h during the Sydney spell. 12. Sam Konstas draws strong reactions because he plays ramp shots, hoiks, and attacking strokes that the hosts think are too premeditated. 13. James says Konstas looked like he was showing off, while Lucas says crowd energy may have pushed his confidence too far. 14. The hosts compare Konstas with Bazball, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and Zach Crawley to separate controlled aggression from reckless shot-making. 15. James argues that test batting still needs defense, patience, and the ability to survive a 20- to 30-minute difficult spell. 16. Lucas points to players such as Pujara, Rahul Dravid, Michael Clarke, and Ricky Ponting as examples of survival and concentration. 17. The tone is conversational and opinion-led, with James and Lucas moving between analysis, disagreement, and live reactions to series moments. 18. The format is a two-host cricket chat with frequent digressions into tactics, player temperament, and future series. 19. Listeners who follow Australia, India, and Ashes planning will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a neutral match report without debate may skip it.

As heard by us

A steady Test-match chat about patience, survival, and when to attack.

This episode stays with a familiar Test-match question: when to press, and when to dig in. It is strongest when it returns to patience, using Michael Clarke, Pujara, Dravid, and Ponting to show how much value there is in slowing the game down and staying present.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want a proper cricket argument about when to attack and when to just survive?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Cricket Badger Podcast