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Follow UsThe final Test match of the epic Border - Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 - is set to be the traditional New Year's Test match hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. The statistics show that the SCG has been the most batting-friendly wicket in Tests since 2020. Batters feel far more comfortable to bat on this wicket than any other venue in Australia. The first Day of the Test match happens to be awarding batters far more advantage against bowlers.
Since 2020, all the captains who have won the toss have opted to bat first at the venue, purely on the back of how batting-friendly it has been. The average first innings score has been almost 400 runs, making the highest average first innings score at a venue in Australia in recent memory
The last five Tests have seen only two games finding a result. The last time team India was at this venue, the epic blockathon was showcased by Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin blocking the Australia bowlers for 42 overs to save the Test match. In 2024, Australia dominated Pakistan and won the Test match by 8 wickets
Team India has not had the best of records at this venue in the 21st century. In the eight New Year's Tests that India has played in Sydney since 2000, they have drawn in five of seven games with the other two resulting in India suffering innings defeats in 2000 and 2012.
Sydney Cricket Ground is one of the best places for batters to bat, as the average run scoring at this venue is better than any other ground in Australia. This is the best venue to score big for batters as it has seen the most Test centurions (8) at a venue in the last five years
The batters have had the best time to bat on Day 1 and 2 as they average nearly 50 on the fresh wicket. Day 3 sees a sharp turn, with bowlers getting some assistance from a worn-out wicket as batters average 24.9. But, the conditions become decent in the last two days of the Tests.
The Day 1 batting record is something amusing as the batting average in Sydney is beyond 50 compared to other venues that don't even touch 40 in the batting average. It, by far, proves that if batters get set on this wicket, big triple-digit scores are expected to come out of their bat.
Is it any different at the domestic level?
The domestic cricket record shows no difference as Sydney Cricket Ground has averaged 33.2 in the first innings of the match at this venue, which is the highest for any venue that has hosted more than five games at a venue in Sheffield Shield since 2022.
The Australian batters have had a feast at this venue as their batters, famous for batting long, have recently had ridiculous averages. Labuschagne has scored 50+ runs in seven of the nine games. Steve Smith has smashed two hundreds, averaging 73. Usman Khawaja has scored a hundred in almost every alternate innings. Travis Head and Alex Carey are the only two batters who don't have such a good record.
Bowling having a tough time in Sydney
Pacers and spinners have both had mediocre records at this venue in the last five years, but pacers have eked out spinners in terms of average.
The bowlers have the best time on the moving day of a Test match as pacers and spinners average well on Day 3 at this venue. Spinners have had a terrible record in the first two days, especially the first day, as they have managed just one wicket on Day 1 across six innings averaging 303.
Across the three sessions of the Tests in Sydney, the only session where bowlers dominate is the third session, where pacers average 27.4. Spinners have a similar average across three sessions, averaging in the mid-40s.
The two lead pacers of Australia return to their home ground with contrasting records. Pat Cummins has been terrific, averaging 21 and taking 23 wickets in 10 innings since 2020. Mitchell Starc has taken just nine wickets and has averaged 47 with no five-wicket hauls, among his worst venues in the country. Scott Boland has been fantastic in Sydney, averaging 9.4 and taking seven wickets in two innings.
Beau Webster to debut in Sydney
Beau Webster, the tall Tasmanian pace bowling allrounder, is set to debut in the New Year's Test in Sydney, replacing Mitchell Marsh, who has had a terrible run in BGT 2024/25. Webster has had a good record with the bat at the SCG, scoring three fifties and a hundred in the Sheffield Shield tournament.
However, the same can't be said about his bowling, with a sub-par display at the venue, where he has picked up nine wickets, averaging 51.1 in ten innings.
There's a good chance that the batting-friendly nature of the venue could play a significant role in the series' outcome. With Australia leading the series 2-1, Sydney is a perfect venue for them to finally get hold of the Border-Gavaskar trophy after nearly a decade.
