…as Australia romp to victory in first test
Australia 191 (Paine 73, Ashwin 4-55) and 93 for 2 (Burns 51*) beat India 244 (Kohli 74, Starc 4-53) and 36 (Hazlewood 5-8, Cummins 4-21) by eight wickets
(ESPN CRICINFO) A fascinatingly poised Test match. What sort of target could Australia chase? The scene set for Virat Kohli to sign off the tour with a defining innings? The third day in Adelaide promised so much – in many ways it delivered, but in scarcely believable fashion as Josh Hazlewood – who reached 200 Test wickets – and Pat Cummins dismantled India for their lowest-ever Test total with Australia securing victory before the floodlights were even needed.
India resumed at 9 for 1, having lost Prithvi Shaw late the previous evening, with a lead of 62 under their belts and the expectation that anything over 200 would make them favourites to repeat their 2018-19 victory on this ground. In the space of 16 overs they were all out, without a single batsman reaching single figures – a first in Test history. To compound their woes, last-man Mohammed Shami was forced to retire hurt to close the innings after a fierce blow on the arm from Cummins.
Australia’s bowlers were on the mark from the first ball and when Cummins collected a low return catch off nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah they became unstoppable. Not that the collapse needs any further breaking down, but the nine wickets on the third day fell for 21. From Kohli’s run out on the first day, when India were well placed on 188 for 3, they had lost 17 for 92.
What can be considered a perfect day for Australia was capped by their new opening pair of Matthew Wade and Joe Burns putting on 70 for the first wicket. Wade played confidently and compactly while there were signs of Burns, who was struck a painful blow on the arm, coming out of his funk. He made his highest score of the season which included some increasingly neat strokeplay, bringing up a half-century with a top-edged hook for six that brought victory. That’s a big tick for the Australia selectors.
Four overs after his first wicket of the afternoon, Cummins made the breakthrough that really began Australia’s surge when a perfect delivery took Cheteshwar Pujara’s outside edge and carried low to Tim Paine – the first of five catches for Australia’s captain, whose unbeaten 73 on the second day all of a sudden became matchwinning.
Mayank Agarwal followed in similar fashion against a peach from Hazlewood as did Ajinkya Rahane four balls later with Australia’s quicks locating the perfect, slightly fuller, length to draw the edges. There will be criticism aimed at India’s batsmen for such a low total, but it was pace bowling of the highest calibre.
While Kohli remained there was some hope that he could galvanise the lower order towards a total that would give the bowlers something. But that soon vanished as well in a moment that showed how things were all rolling Australia’s way. Lured into a drive by Cummins, the edge flew quickly to gully where Cameron Green couldn’t grab it cleanly but the ball rolled from his chest back into his hands. The third umpire checked it for a while and was satisfied it was a clean catch. Kohli walked off, and shortly to the airport as his tour comes to a close. It was Cummins’ 150th Test wicket and only one Australian – Clarrie Grimmett (28 Tests) – has done it quicker than his 31 games.
At 19 for 6 the record books were being thumbed. Sadly for New Zealand’s sake, their 26 in 1955 remained the lowest total ever but India’s 42 – made against England in 1974 – could not be avoided. Wriddhiman Saha, chipping to midwicket, and R Ashwin fell in consecutive balls to Hazlewood with the latter wicket bringing up 200 Test scalps.
Hazlewood had another crackerjack up his sleeve to account for Hanuma Vihari which completed one of the game’s swiftest five-wicket hauls. Cummins was denied the chance to match him when Shami was unable to continue following the blow on his arm despite lengthy on-field treatment. It will be another problem for India who will have to dig deep into their resolve to recover from this drubbing, and without their main man.
