Ranking India's 5 best performers in BGT 2024-25 ft. Nitish Kumar Reddy

Team India's aspirations of winning a third straight Test series in Australia and qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) a third consecutive time came to an end after a 3-1 loss in the Border-Gavaskar series. The Men in Blue suffered a six-wicket defeat in Sydney to conclude the proceedings in what will not be a series fondly remembered for a multitude of reasons.

A wide array of off-field issues complemented the recurring on-field failures. With only individual performances driving the team forward, India should arguably be glad with the scoreline, for it could have easily been much, much worse. Out of the five Tests, there were hardly any collective batting or bowling displays from the team.

However, some of those individual performances were among the best on the Australian shore, and while it did not help the team in the long term, it made a lasting impression.

On that note, let us rank India's five best performers in BGT 2024-25.

#5 KL Rahul

A campaign that started with a lot of promise, ended up being one that fizzled away, much like how every KL Rahul comeback has transpired so far. The batter had to prepare for an entirely different challenge as opposed to the middle-order role he was lined up for initially.

Rohit Sharma's absence in the series opener in Perth gave the Karnataka batter a chance back at the top. A strong showing on a testing surface, where he showcased the near-perfect technique and temperament to succeed, meant he was retained.

A slight shift in position in the Boxing Day Test at No.3 apart, Rahul opened the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The fifties in Perth and Brisbane were the highlights, but the way he dipped in Melbourne and Sydney made it a bittersweet campaign to remember. He finished with 276 runs at an average of 30.67.

#4 Mohammed Siraj

There is a reason why Siraj earned special praise from head coach Gautam Gambhir during the post-series press conference. The right-arm pacer's numbers might not be extraordinary, nor was he the ideal second seamer to complement Jasprit Bumrah at times, but he always ran in.

Siraj finishes the Border-Gavaskar series with 156 overs under his belt. He took 20 wickets along with it. In the end, while he was not at his best, he was not at his worst either, and compared to his teammates' contributions, he certainly deserves a shoutout.

There were very few instances where his pace or intensity dipped, if not at all. The sheer commitment was commendable, but he also has some positive flashes over the course of the series.

#3 Nitish Kumar Reddy

Easily one of the positives emerging from the series, Nitish Kumar Reddy held onto his slot in the lower middle-order for the entire tour. The all-rounder proved that his selection was justified after scoring 298 runs at an average of 37.25, and taking five wickets.

His campaign might be a touch marred based on how the scores dipped after his brilliant ton during the Boxing Day Test. However, it does not tarnish the work he put in for the majority of the series. His twin cameos in the Perth and the Adelaide Tests were more than enough to suggest that the 21-year-old has a bright future.

It takes a lot for a lower middle-order all-rounder to finish as one of the best batters of his side as far as both numbers and technique are considered.

#2 Yashasvi Jaiswal

The Australia tour was one of the biggest challenges that Jaiswal faced in his promising career. While it began with a disappointing duck, it ended with him being India's leading run-scorer.

Jaiswal made the Australian bowlers worry when he was in full flow, whether it be the mammoth ton in Perth or his twin fifties in Melbourne. While some of his dismissals were questionable, he certainly did well considering that it was his first time in Australian conditions.

Jaiswal finished the series with 391 runs in five matches at an average of 43.44, and as the second leading run-scorer behind Travis Head.

#1 Jasprit Bumrah

The shift that Bumrah has put in day in and day out over the course of the last month and a half, warrants him two spots on this list. A record-breaking series with 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 are numbers that even simulations fail to crunch out.

The right-arm pacer instilled fear in the Australian camp, a feeling which they are largely not familiar with in home conditions. Whether it be his game-changing spell in Perth on Day 1 itself, or masterclasses in Brisbane or Melbourne, Bumrah gave it his all, and deserved a much better return, from a team standpoint.

The way he was able to subdue Steve Smith and Travis Head at times, coupled with his ability to constantly apply pressure, made Australia buckle on more than one occasion, but Team India failed to capitalize on it.

Bumrah not bowling in the second innings of the series finale is certainly an anti-climactic end to a historic campaign, but it will take a lot for bowlers to come even close to such an effort in years to come.