Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a devastating spell of 12 overs in which he claimed 5 wickets for 37 runs as India bowled Australia out for 91 in their second innings on Day 3 of the Border-Gavaskar series' opening Test.
The hosts won the match by an innings and 132 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four match series.
Ashwin bowled his overs from the North End of the ground and in 50-odd balls had the Australians reeling to their lowest-ever score in India. The previous lowest score for Australia was 93 they scored in 2004.
Australia were bowled out in less than a session, their innings lasting 32.3 overs and lasted just 131 minutes.
It was Ravindra Jadeja though who was the star of India's memorable win as he stepped up with both with the ball and bat to single-handedly put Australia under pressure. Making a comeback from a knee injury after a five-month break, he claimed 5/47 in Australia's first innings and then scored 70 runs, sharing crucial partnerships of 61 runs with skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored a majestic 120, and then 84 runs for the eighth wicket with Axar Patel (84) as India handed Australia a comprehensive defeat.
Skipper Rohit Sharma had set the tone for India's dominance with a brilliant century, starting aggressively and then buckling down to tackle the Australian spinners, grinding out the bowling.
India had added 79 runs in the morning session to set Australia the target of scoring a minimum of 224 runs to make them bat again. But the Australians, who were out for 177 in their first innings, fared even poorly in the second essay as they succumbed too easily with their batters coming up with a spineless performance.
Ashwin bowled his overs from the North End of the ground and in 50-odd balls had the Australians reeling to their lowest-ever score in India. The previous lowest score for Australia was 93 they scored in 2004.
Ashwin, who claimed his 450th wicket in the first innings, recorded his 31st five-for as the Australian batters failed to read his bowling and went back to the pavilion in a procession.
Ravichandran Ashwin of India showing his fiffer ball during day three of the first test match between India and Australia held at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur on the 11th February 2023
(Photo: BCCI)
Steve Smith remained not out on 25 as only four Australian batsmen managed to reach double figures in a disastrous batting display. At one time they were looking to get out for the lowest score at the VCA Stadium, Jamtha -- 79 scored by South Africa in 2017.
Ashwin claimed the wicket of Usman Khawaja (5) caught by Kohli as he was deceived by the turn, trapped David Warner (10) lbw with one that stayed low, caught Matt Renshaw plumb in front of the wicket with another one that stayed low and got Peter Handscomb lbw, hitting the front pad around the knee roll.
Alex Cary played a premeditated reverse sweep and missed the line totally to be hit on the back pad as Ashwin destroyed the Australian batting.
Ravindra Jadeja, who had claimed 5-47 in the first innings, bagged 2 for 34 while Mohammed Shami claimed 3-13 from five overs as he wiped out the tail.
The Australians had come to India well-prepared for playing spin bowling. They had a camp at Sydney and Alur, near Bengaluru, where they got pitches tailor-made to what they perceived they would face in India. Their batsmen were given extensive practice for a sweep and reverse sweep shots and it was apparent from their two innings in the first Test that they were told to go for sweep or reverse sweep against the spinners as much as possible.
Their batters played pre-determined shots in the first innings and the innings folded for 177. They did not learn much from that debacle and went about in the same manner in the second innings, playing the ball for what they thought it would do and not what it was actually doing.
With the wicket offering a slow turn and low bounce, the Aussie batsmen had to use their feet and get to the ball to negate the lbw getting into the equation, which they couldn't do so and crashed to a huge defeat.
Axar Patel was the last Indian wicket to fall on Day 3, getting out on 84.
(Photo: BCCI)
Earlier today, the hosts raised 400 before getting all out on the stroke of Lunch with Axar Patel making 84 while Mohammed Shami slammed 37 as India took a massive 223-run lead in the first innings.
Resuming at the overnight score of 321/7, the Indians added 79 runs to their total in just overs on the third morning with Axar Patel and Mohammed Shami raising 52 runs for the ninth wicket after Patel and Ravindra Jadeja had capitalised on the platform provided by skipper Rohit Sharma on the second day with a magnificent century.
Patel was the last man to get out, as a Pat Cummins delivery sneaked in and clipped the off stump and bail fell off. Patel played a vital innings for India, scoring 84 runs during a 174-ball stay at the wicket during which he struck 10 boundaries and one six. He was cautious to start and went for the runs after Jadeja got out, showing the visitors' how to build innings on this wicket.
Patel and Shami then raised 52 runs for the ninth wicket, playing at a fast clip as India decided to add as many runs as possible. Shami blasted three sixes and two fours during his 47-ball 37 that added to Australia's woes.
(With inputs from IANS)
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