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After the massive 295 -run loss at Perth in the first Test to India of the BGT, Pat Cummins led Australia were under immense pressure to bounce back. And the reigning WTC champions did it in style with a convincing victory.
Australia took sweet revenge by beating India by 10 wickets and in three days of the pink ball Test at the Adelaide Oval. The win now levels the five- match series at 1-1.
Rohit Sharma returned as skipper for this Test. And after winning the toss opted to bat first. His move though back-fired. As India were rattled in the very first ball as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped leg before to a swinging ball from Mitchell Starc without disturbing the scorers out for 0 . It was a dream start for the Aussies.
KL Rahul ( 37 ) and Shubman Gill ( 31) put the team back taking the total to 69 when Rahul fell to Starc. India lost Virat Kohli early for ( 7) to Starc who was on fire . Gill soon perished with the total at 81/ 4. Skipper Rohit Sharma’s return was a horrendous one out leg before for mere 3 to Scott Boland . India tottering at 87/ 5 . Rishabh Pant ( 21) , Ravichandran Ashwin ( 22) battled hard but big scores eluded them. A cameo by Nitish Reddy ( 42) helped India somehow reach 180 before been bowled out .
Mitchell Starc set up the Test for Australia with his brilliant first innings spell. Starc ripped through the Indian batting line-up and finished with stunning figures of 6/ 48 . Skipper Pat Cummins 2/ 41 and Scott Boland ( in place of injured Josh Hazlewood) bagged 2/ 54. Nathan Lyon bowled a solitary over for 6 runs while Mitchell Marsh has figures of 0/ 26.
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In reply , Australia too got off to a shaky start as Usman Khwaja was dismissed early on for 13. Talented Nathan McSweeney played well for his 39 . Under- fire in Perth for his 2 0ff 52 balls innings , Marnus Labuschagne showed urgency this time and anchored the Aussie innings with a vital well made 64 of 126 balls. Steve Smith’s horror run continued out for 3.
But for Australia the game changing innings came from the belligerent Travis Head . Playing his usual attacking game Head hit a masterly 140 off 141 balls with 17 fours and 4 sixes. It was the innings that proved decisive at the end. Mitchell Marsh ( 9), Alex Carey ( 5), Pat Cummins ( 12), Mitchell Starc ( 18) chipped in with crucial runs when lead is so important. Australia were eventually bowled out for 337. A vital lead of 157.
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For India, Jasprit Bumrah bowled his heart out with figures of 4/ 61 . Mohammed Siraj gave a nasty send- off to Travis Head but in the process went for runs 4/ 98 . Harshit Rana struggled 0/ 86 . Nitish Reddy 1/ 25 , Ravichandran Ashwin 1/ 53 .
Needing to bat well to stay in the Test in the second innings , India Lost K L Rahul ( 7) to Aussie Skipper Pat Cummins. India 12/ 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal looked good but fell to Scott Boland for 24. India wanted a big one from Virat Kohli , but the superstar edged one from Boland to Alex Carey behind the stumps for 11. Shubman Gill scored 28 before a peach of swinging delivery form Micthell Starc rattled his stumps.
The end of the day’s play was nearing when Aussie Skipper Pat Cummins produced a gem of delivery knock the stumps of his counterpart Rohit Sharma for 6. India were blowen away. Total a miserable 128 for 5 when play ended on the second day with Rishabh Pant and Nitish Reddy in the middle. It was simply delaying the inevitable.
On the third day , Pant’s adventurous 28 was short lived as Starc got him early. Ravichandran Ashwin ( 7) edged one from Pat Cummins to Alex Carey . Harshit Rana found the short ball from Cummins too much to handle out holed out for ( 0) . Nitish Reddy looked set for his maiden fifty but fell for 42 ( 47 balls, 6 fours, one 6) to Cummins caught by McSweeney. Scott Boland wrapped up the Indian innings taking the wicket of Mohammed Siraj ( 7), Bumrah was not out 2. India were bowled out for 175/ 10 . Just 18 runs ahead. Australia now needed mere 19 to win.
Australia were led well by Skipper Pat Cummins who finished with excellent figures of 5/ 57 . MItchell Starc 2/ 60 . Scott Boland bowled well in both innings getting key wickets bagged 3/ 51
Needing just 19, Aussie openers Nathan McSweeney not out 10 and Usman Khawaja not out 9 completed the formalities in 3.2 overs .
