Australia’s Beau Webster reacts after a delivery to West Indies’ captain Roston Chase on day four of the second cricket Test match at the National Cricket Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada, Sunday, July 6, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Australia cricket team celebrate the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series win.© X (Twitter)

Australia cricket team celebrate the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series win.© X (Twitter)

Former Australia fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson believes that India ‘two vs 11′ mindset to intimidate the Australian rookie players like Sam Konstas and Beau Webster during the recent Sydney Test didn’t pay off. In the match, India suffered a six-wicket defeat at Sydney, as Australia won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 after a decade. “The Indian side appeared to embrace the mindset that it was “two against 11” out in the middle, aiming to make the Aussie batters feel isolated and under pressure. The focus was on not just testing the technical skills of their opponents but also challenging their mental toughness.

“In Test cricket, it’s crucial to create that environment, one where the batters are distracted from their primary objective. This psychological edge can often prove to be just as important as any physical skill in the game. Trying to intimidate the Aussie rookies didn’t really pay off with both Konstas and Beau Webster proving their worth,” wrote Johnson in his column for The Nightly on Monday.

At the same time, Johnson reckoned Konstas taking on Jasprit Bumrah in a verbal volley on day one was not a praiseworthy act. “I appreciate what Konstas was trying to do by supporting his teammate, but it was simply the wrong time for that kind of engagement. At that late stage of the day, there could only be one winner.

“I wonder if Khawaja had a chat with Konstas or if any of the other senior players offered him some advice after the day’s play on how to navigate such situations. This highlights a crucial aspect of introducing new players to the team: they need the guidance of experienced teammates to understand how to handle various scenarios within the game’s dynamics.”

He signed off by saying Webster, who had a debut to remember with scores of 57 and 39 not out, apart from taking a wicket and grabbing two sharp catches, can be a regular fixture in the Australian Test team for the foreseeable future.

“No one deserved to hit the winning runs for Australia on Sunday more than Webster. His dream debut in the baggy green was more than a decade in the making and his strong performance not just with bat and ball but also in the field has put not just all-rounder Cameron Green on notice but he top six batters as well.

“Webster’s debut at the SCG was a moment filled with joy and personal significance for him, evident in the big smile he wore. It wasn’t just the cherished cap he received but also the way he approached the game that stood out.

“His demeanour during media interactions suggested he felt comfortable in his role and then the way he played, treating it as another day at the office rather than a pressure-filled debut. At 31, Webster brings a wealth of experience, combining youthful energy with the wisdom of seasoned play.”

“His confident yet relaxed attitude could be a significant asset for the team, suggesting he’s not just a player but also a potential motivator in the dressing room. It’s clear that Webster fits well into the team dynamic and could play a vital role moving forward.”

Beau Webster had a debut to remember in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. Replacing Mitchell Marsh in the Australian squad, Webster made an instant impact with both bat and ball, playing a crucial role in Australia’s 3-1 series victory, reclaiming the trophy after a 10-year wait. The all-rounder bowled 17 overs, providing much-needed support to the pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland. He also claimed the key wicket of Indian opener Shubman Gill. With the bat, Webster impressed with scores of 57 and an unbeaten 39*, finishing the game in style by hitting the winning runs for Australia.

Reflecting on his debut, Webster said, “It definitely wasn’t looking like that a few days ago… it’s been a hell of a game. I probably couldn’t ask for much more on day two. It was a hell of a fixture. It was a great crowd, great atmosphere, and three days there was great,” as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Webster spoke about his mindset when walking out to bat with three wickets down.

“I was sort of counting down the runs a little bit in lots of 10 there. I was hoping under 50 might be alright. But no, I was pretty confident. He’s [Head] a good player. We had a few behind us as well. So pretty confident in the whole chase,” he shared.

On hitting the winning shot, Webster added, “Yeah, I just said to Head that I was going to go no matter what ball. I was going to try and flog it, and I’ll leave it up to him in the over. So glad I got a good connection and I went to the boundary.”

The debutant described the experience as surreal, saying, “Yeah, it is pretty surreal to be honest. It probably hasn’t sunk in. It’s been a nice couple of weeks just to be around the lads throughout the whole series and then to get a chance in the last one was a little bit unexpected, but I was stoked and I think I was ready, and today showed that I still do have the game. They can go to the high level, and hopefully, I can play a few more knocks.”

Webster also appreciated the electrifying atmosphere in Sydney, saying, “The whole series has been really well supported and just every time you are hitting a four, you’re taking a wicket… that noise. It’s infectious, it’s great. It makes you want to be in the team and have that success. So it couldn’t have been better.”

Coming to the SCG Test, India won the toss and elected to bat first. India was off to a disappointing start yet again as the top order threw away their wickets, especially Virat Kohli (17) who continued his struggles with outside off-stump deliveries.

However, the fight by Pant (40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six), Ravindra Jadeja (26 in 95 balls, with three fours) and skipper Jasprit Bumrah (22 in 17 balls, with three fours and a six) pushed India to 185/10 in 72.2 overs.

Boland (4/31) was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies and once again a thorn in the eyes of Indian batters. Mitchell Starc took 3/49 while Pat Cummins got 2/37.

In their first innings, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals even when Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) walked off the field due to an injury scare. Under the stand-in skipper Virat, India continued to dominate the Aussies, skittling them out for just 181 runs and taking a four-run lead. Debutant Beau Webster (57 in 105 balls, with five fours) had a fine showing with the bat and Steve Smith (33 in 57 balls, with four boundaries and a six) showed some attacking intent.

Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Mohammed Siraj (3/51) were the top bowlers for India.

With a lead of four runs, India was off to a promising start thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal (22 in 35 balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (13) as they put on a 45-run stand. But Boland (6/45) troubled the Indian batting once again. Pant did put up a counter-attack with 61 in 33 balls (six fours and four sixes), but India was bundled out for 157 runs, setting up 162 for the Aussies to win. Bumrah could not bowl in the final innings.

Australia was in trouble for a while during chase of 162 runs at 58/3, but knocks from Usman Khawaja (41 in 45 balls, with four boundaries), Travis Head (34* in 38 balls, with four boundaries) and Webster (39* in 34 balls, with six fours) guided the team to a six-wicket win, despite fight put up by Prasidh Krishna (3/65).

Boland was the ‘Player of the Match’ for his 10-wicket haul while Bumrah walked away with the ‘Player of the Series’ award with 32 wickets.

Australia captain Pat Cummins experienced a rather wholesome moment after winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. Having celebrated a 3-1 series win over India, which helped Australia reclaim the trophy for the first time since 2014/15, Cummins was in the press conference, when he was interrupted. The interruption was caused by none other than Cummins’ own son, Albon, prompting a smile from the Australian skipper and a reply back to his son. The heartwarming moment was caught on camera by reporters present at the press conference.

While Cummins was waxing lyrical about debutant all-rounder Beau Webster‘s impressive showing with both bat and ball in the fifth Test, a call of “Dada” came from his son.

Cummins instantly had a smile on his face, and chose to pause his answer, telling his son, “I’m here”.

Watch: Pat Cummins gets interrupted by his son mid-answer

Too cute!

Pat Cummins’ son Albie made an adorable interruption to his post-play press conference. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/COUx4tTJBp

— CODE Cricket (@codecricketau) January 5, 2025

The Australian skipper then went on to praise Beau Webster again.

“Beau was huge in this Test. He’s one of those quintessential all-rounders, who you feel will contribute in every facet of the game, and he proved that in this Test match,” said Cummins on Webster.

Making his long-awaited Test debut at the age of 31 in place of the out-of-form Mitchell Marsh, Webster made an impression straight away. The all-rounder – who stands at 2m tall – top-scored for his side in the first innings with a fifty (57) on debut.

Webster then chipped in with the ball as well during India’s second innings. Having bowled economically on Day 1, Webster picked up the wicket of Shubman Gill on Day 2.

He then rounded off a phenomenal debut Test by staying unbeaten on 39 off just 34 balls, as Australia clinched the match, chasing down a score of 162.

With regular all-rounder Cameron Green still injured and Mitchell Marsh off-colour, Webster may have just cemented his spot for Australia’s playing XI come the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final against South Africa in June.

Australia’s Beau Webster who bowled tight spells reacts on day 1 of the fifth Test against India in Sydney on January 3, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Beau Webster turned up at the press conference with a swagger belying a debutant’s nerves. But then he is 31 and has played a decade of first-class cricket. Hailing from Tasmania, the land of David Boon and Ricky Ponting, Webster has some history to inspire him further.

He did well in the fifth Test that commenced at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday (January 3, 2025).. He plucked two fine catches, bowled tight spells and saw a probable maiden Test wicket being dropped. Webster, though, seemed unfazed: “It was good to have my family here and to get the cap from Junior (Mark Waugh). Got some catches and that settled the nerves.”

Asked about the pitch, the Australian all-rounder quipped: “It seamed around all day and at times it was a bit difficult to control the seam. Would 185 (India’s total) be ideal, I don’t know what would be a competitive score. With (Jasprit) Bumrah around, it would be challenging for the batters tomorrow.”

Probed on the fiery climax of day one with Bumrah, Sam Konstas and Indian fielders involved in a tense exchange, Webster said: “Ah, we were at the change-room, and we saw him (Konstas) hit Bumrah over mid-wicket for four. It is no longer a surprise and we were like okay ‘so he is up and away’. The youngsters these days! He loves to have a chat.”

Out-of-form all-rounder Mitch Marsh was axed Thursday from Australia’s team for the series-deciding fifth Test against India in Sydney with Beau Webster to make his debut. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc retained his place for Friday’s match despite carrying a rib niggle and will line up in the attack alongside Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon. “Mitchy obviously hasn’t quite got the runs or wickets he would have liked this series and felt like it was time for a freshen up,” said skipper Cummins.

“Beau’s been with the squad and been great. 

“It’s a shame for Mitchy because we know how much he brings to the team, but we feel like now is a good time for Beau to get a chance.” 

Marsh’s position had been under intense scrutiny after a poor series with bat and ball and his axing could potentially herald the end of the 33-year-old’s Test career.

After making his debut in 2014, he struggled to cement his place in the team and with the emergence of Cameron Green had been on the red-ball sidelines in recent years.

He returned to the Test side when Green was ruled out of the series following surgery on his spine.

Cummins said Marsh, who remains a key figure for Australia in the white-ball game, took the news well.

“He was totally understanding. I think his words were, ‘I’m not necessarily blindsided.’ 

“He knows he hasn’t scored the runs or (taken) wickets he would have liked so that makes you vulnerable.”

Tasmanian Webster, 31, has toiled for years in Sheffield Shield cricket and will be Australia’s third debutant in the series.

Teenage opener Sam Konstas was called up for the fourth Test in Melbourne, in place of Nathan McSweeney who had made his debut in the first Test in Perth but had a poor run and was dumped after the third in Brisbane.

Konstas announced himself with a quickfire 60, audaciously ramping India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah for a six.

Webster can bowl pace and off-spin and was considered a better option in case left-armer quick Starc has any issues.

Starc bowled 41 overs in Melbourne — which Australia won by 184 runs on day five — but clearly struggled in the latter stages.

But despite this Cummins said: “He was never going to miss this one.”

Australia are 2-1 up in the series and will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw the Test which begins on Friday.

Victory would also guarantee them a place in the June World Test Championship final at Lord’s against South Africa.

Australia: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

Sean Abbott and Beau Webster are linked by a common thread. They are just about there but not quite there when it comes to selection in Australia’s final Test eleven. They get summoned for national duty, attend nets and then go back to domestic commitments, only to be called back again raising hope of wearing that elusive Baggy Green. Abbott, 32, has played 56 International games since his white ball debut a decade ago, but is still waiting to wear the whites and hold a red Kookaburra. Webster, 31, is a proper domestic doyen with 93 games under his belt in which he has made 5297 runs and grabbed 148 wickets.

Webster knows he is good but also knows that the team thinks Mitch Marsh may be slightly better although the former looked way more assured with the willow than ‘Bison’.

Similarly, Abbott accepts that he is not even the fourth but the fifth choice in pecking order of Australian pacers.

So, do you think you will get a game tomorrow? Webster was asked and he gave a cautious reply.

“We have got main training tomorrow. We will see how boys go. We have already got an all-rounder and he is still in that spot,” Webster said during his interaction at the MCG.

“He is a great player, a fantastic player, he has had some success across formats and I am just here to cover him if something goes wrong,” he seemed to know his position.

Abbott was slightly more humorous with his take but acknowledged that it was a privilege to be in the Australian dressing room along with the big boys.

“Obviously, I think if I’m not getting any games it’s a good thing for the team because it means we’re full strength. I think the guys are feeling quite good at the moment. I’m obviously here as cover for any of the bowlers,” his answer sounded quite similar to that of Webster’s.

“But I’m really enjoying it. I love being around this team as I have done with the Waffle set up for a number of years, but you know this is Boxing Day, being involved with the Australian Test side.” So, is it an acceptance that with Pat Cummins (the skipper), Mitchell Starc (the left-armer) and Josh Hazlewood (ruled out of series) being around, it became all the more difficult for him? Well, he finds solace in fellow pacer Scott Boland’s situation and what former quick James Pattinson used to go through.

“I’d probably throw Scotty (Boland) in there as well and make it four (pacers). Although he hasn’t played a heap of cricket for Australia just yet, he’s had three years of playing Test cricket every time he comes in and does well.

“I can tell you there were a lot of batters around the country heaving a sigh of relief when he came into the Test team and did what he did.

“I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating because they’re great cricketers. Even when Jimmy Pattinson was the other guy that was involved before Scotty, these are all guys that are unbelievable at what they do.” He accepts that it is hectic but enjoyable at the same time.

“Team is just something else altogether. So, I’m just enjoying my time. You know, it’s been a little bit hectic flying in and out and getting BBL games done, having the young one arrive and all that sort of stuff. So, it’s been a great time.

“But the way the group is, it’s just a great sort of environment to be around.” For Webster, he has supreme confidence in his batting which is more about counter-punching while bowling is about maintaining the channel around the off-stump.

“With the ball, I just aim at consistency. Trying to hit the top of off-stump and try to run the ball back into the right-handers. If there’s a bit of swing on offer, I think I can take that as well…It’s just those simple things done over and over again, I think, is my strength,” the lanky all-rounder said.

“I think in the last 2 to 3 years, I have batted No. 6 for Tasmania in (Sheffield) Shield cricket and come in and do a counter-punching sort of role….to be able to counter-punch our way out of that (trouble) and get us to a total that our quicks can bowl at. I think it’s definitely one of my strengths with the bat,” said Webster.

They may still be on the periphery but that hope, minuscule it may be, of wearing the Baggy Green makes their wait worthwhile.

File photo of Mitchell Marsh.© AFP