The 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy which Australia won 3-1 broke the record for the shortest-ever five-match Test series in terms of balls bowled in the country.
After India's historic victory in the series opener in Perth, Australia clawed back with a thumping win in Sydney. The tourists evaded a rare follow-on in Brisbane and followed it up by reducing Australia to 89-7 in the second innings. The match eventually ended in a draw. The Boxing Day Test and the New Year’s Test went Australia’s way, handing them their first Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in 10 years.
In a series, which saw frequent interruptions due to rain, the fourth Test in Melbourne was the longest in terms of balls bowled (2,430). The first three and fifth matches of the series lasted 1,031, 1,141, 1,297 and 1,765 balls respectively.
List of shortest-ever five-match Test series
The shortest-ever five-match Test series was the 1902 Ashes which lasted 6,545 balls. South Africa's 1924 Tour of England was the second-shortest, where 7,659 balls were bowled.
The recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy ranks third for lasting 7,664 balls making it the lowest in a five-match Test series worldwide in exactly 100 years.
The 2001 Ashes (7,868 balls), the 2015 Ashes (7,920), and the Wisden Trophy in 2000 (8,188) are the other modern five-match Test series in the top 10 all time for the least ball count.
| Series | Year | Balls bowled |
| The Ashes (Australia in England) | 1902 | 6,545 |
| South Africa in England Test Series | 1924 | 7,659 |
| Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India in Australia) | 2024/25 | 7,664 |
| The Wisden Trophy (England in West Indies) | 1985/86 | 7,699 |
| New Zealand in England Test Series | 1958 | 7,785 |
| The Ashes (Australia in England) | 2001 | 7,868 |
| The Ashes (Australia in England) | 2015 | 7,920 |
| The Ashes (Australia in England) | 1921 | 7,971 |
| The Ashes (Australia in England) | 1909 | 8,145 |
| The Wisden Trophy (West Indies in England) | 2000 | 8,188 |
List of shortest-ever five-match Test series in Australia
| Series | Year | Balls bowled |
| Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India in Australia) | 2024/25 | 7,664 |
| West Indies in Australia Test Series | 1930/31 | 8,542 |
| The Ashes (England in Australia) | 2021/22 | 8,731 |
| The Frank Worrell Trophy (West Indies in Australia) | 2000/01 | 9,034 |
| The Frank Worrell Trophy (West Indies in Australia) | 1984/85 | 9,043 |
| The Ashes (England in Australia) | 2013/14 | 9,582 |
| The Frank Worrell Trophy (West Indies in Australia) | 1996/97 | 9,759 |
| India in Australia | 1947/48 | 9,775 |
| The Ashes (England in Australia) | 1998/99 | 9,803 |
| The Ashes (England in Australia) | 1884/85 | 9,870 |
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