3 similarities between India's loss in BGT 2024-25 and 2014-15

Team India's disastrous Test run continued after the side surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a six-wicket loss to Australia in Sydney. It was their first Test series loss to the Aussies since the 2014/15 tour, when they suffered a 0-2 defeat in a four-match affair.

Coming to the 2024/25 series, India's 1-3 defeat was a tale of two halves, with the side right there at 1-1 after the first three outings. However, back-to-back losses at Melbourne and Sydney meant India conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia after a decade.

While the final scoreline and the general feeling is similar between the 2014/15 and 2024/25 defeats, there were also several cricketing aspects that mirrored one another.

As Team India and their fans attempt to digest the series loss to Australia, we look back on the similarities from the 2014/15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy to the recently-concluded 2024/25 affair.

# 1 The crucial No.3 conundrum

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 04 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

The most visible and apparent crack that lost India the 2014/15 and 2024/25 series was the performance of their No.3 batters. Lest we forget, India's successes in Australia in 2002/03, 2018/19 and 2020/21 were built on the legendary performances of their No.3 batters - Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara.

However, the numbers of India's one-drop batters made for sorry reading in the 2014/15 and 2024/25 affairs. In the former, India started with Pujara at No.3 in the first five innings before KL Rahul made an appearance at the position in the second innings of the penultimate Test. Eventually, it was the turn of Rohit Sharma to bat at No.3 in the series finale.

Yet, the overall results were sub-par with all the Indian No.3's combining for only 273 runs at an average of 34.13 in eight innings with two half-centuries. All of this despite the series being played on relatively flatter batting tracks.

Coming to the 2024/25 series, it was an even worse display by India's No.3 batters - evidence of the side missing Pujara at the position.

While everyone from Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill took turns at No.3, the end result was 142 runs at an average of 15.77 with no half-centuries in nine innings.

# 2 The ineffective spinners

Australia v India - Men's 2nd Test Match: Day 2 - Source: Getty

While Australia is no spinners' fortress, India's 2018/19 and 2020/21 victories saw their spinners produce several game-changing spells. However, it was quite the opposite in 2014/15 and 2024/25.

India started the 2014/15 affair with leg spinner Karn Sharma but the move backfired massively as he finished with match figures of 4/238 in the series opener at Adelaide. The Asian side then went the direction of the ever-reliable Ravichandran Ashwin for the remainder of the series but even the champion off-spinner endured a mixed bag.

The Tamil Nadu spinner finished with 12 wickets at an average of almost 49 and an economy of 3.40 in five innings.

Fast forward to ten years later and the spinners' ineffectiveness was a common trend even in the recently concluded Australian Test tour. India tried all of their troika of spinners in Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, yet, the result was sub-par.

The spinners combined for only eight wickets at a woeful average of over 48 as India suffered a horrific 1-3 series defeat.

# 3 Costly lower-order runs conceded

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: DEC 27 NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test - Source: Getty

Dismissing the opposition's lower order has often been an Achilles heel for India in Tests. However, they were particularly felt in the 2014/15 and 2024/25 tours of Australia, where the hosts' No. 8 to 11 took turns to frustrate the Indian bowlers.

In 2014/15, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris averaged 52, 44.33 and 40 despite batting at No. 8 and 9. Even Nathan Lyon averaged almost 13, while Josh Hazlewood scored 32 runs without ever being dismissed in the series.

Cut to 2024/25, and Indian fans unfortunately had to endure the Aussie lower-order rearguard action from 91/6 in the second innings of the crucial Melbourne Test. While the averages of the lower-order batters weren't as high as those in 2014/15, the timely runs in a low-scoring series proved detrimental to the visitors' cause.

All four of Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon averaged in the teens, with the former almost touching 20. With the margins being so tight between the teams, India was often left to lick their wounds by the Aussie tail.