In this episode of the show, Stu and Raj look back at the 5th Test between Australia and India, which saw the Aussies get their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in almost a decade and also book themselves a ticket to the World Test Championship Final against South Africa.

We start by talking about the series as a whole. How impressive was Australia's response to a heavy defeat in the first test? Where did it all go wrong for India? Did the theatrics overstep the line? Why did the batters struggle so much in this series? And what's next for both these sides?

There's a chat about Rohit Sharma's decision to step down from the playing XI and questions about the future for both him and the likes of Virat Kohli in the Test arena. There's also praise for debutant Beau Webster, Super Scotty Boland, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal and a whole lot more as we review this fascinating series that always holds a significant place in the cricket conversation.

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We'll be back in your feed again soon with a couple of shows looking back at the year for the Black Caps and England and discuss our hopes for 2025. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

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Thanks for listening.

0:00 Introduction

1:40 Australia's turnaround from defeat to dominance

5:55 Why did India struggle so much in this series?

9:45 India's batting woes

15:20 Was the cricket fun to watch?

16:50 Did the theatrics overstep the line?

18:55 Sam Konstas

24:10 Rohit Sharma's decision to leave himself out of the playing XI

29:25 Virat Kohli

34:15 Beau Webster's outstanding debut

38:55 Scott Boland takes 10-for

44:45 Jasprit Bumrah - player of the series

48:00 Any other positives for India?

49:30 India's Test lineup in the next WTC cycle

53:20 Australia's consistency

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