NEW DELHI: India produced dominant performances with both bat and ball to register a thumping innings and 132 runs victory over Australia inside three days in the opening Test of the four-match series at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The massive win on Saturday gave the hosts a well-deserved 1-0 lead in the series.
After taking a massive 223 runs lead in the first innings, India bowlers led by
Ravichandran Ashwin (5/37), who took his 31st five-wicket haul in Test cricket, bundled out Australia for a meagre 91 in their second innings.
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Ravindra Jadeja (2/34) were unplayable for the Aussie batters as the duo reduced the visitors to 67/7 in the 23rd over. Axar Patel (1/6) and Moahmmed Shami (2/13) then removed the remaining three wickets to give India a big win.
Earlier, Axar scored a career-best 84, off 174, and added a valuable 52 runs for the ninth wicket with Shami (37 off 47) to push India’s first innings total to 400.
Australia had been on the back foot since posting a below-par 177 on a treacherous track, and India’s victory appeared just a matter of time after the home side amassed 400 to claim a hefty lead of 223.
Ashwin then hollowed out Australia’s top order with his nagging accuracy, and the tourists lost all 10 wickets in one frenetic session.
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1st Test: Spinners shine as India crush Australia by an innings
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<p>Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja eviscerated Australia in just over two hours to hand India a crushing innings-and-132-run victory inside three days of the opening Test. The hosts took a commanding first-innings lead of 223, then skittled out Australia for 91 to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.</p>
<p>Steve Smith was left to survey the ruins on 25 after Ashwin, who took five wickets in the innings and eight in the match, triggered a complete batting collapse inside a single session.<br /></p>
<p>Ashwin rattled the opposition batting with his off-spin as he sent back Usman Khawaja (five), David Warner (10) and Matt Renshaw (two).<br /></p>
<p>Jadeja, who grabbed five in the first innings, took two wickets including Marnus Labuschagne — Australia’s first-innings top-scorer with 49 — trapped lbw for 17.<br /></p>
<p>But Ashwin ruled the afternoon to run through the Australian batting, which fell flat on a pitch where India’s tail — including Axar Patel (84) and Mohammed Shami (37) — scored handsomely in the first session.<br /></p>
<p>Shami bowled Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket to extend the session and finished the job when he trapped Scott Boland lbw.<br /></p>
<p>Debutant spinner Todd Murphy was the tourists’ sole saving grace, adding two more wickets on Saturday morning to return figures of 7-124.<br /></p>
<p>Murphy, who on Friday became the youngest Australian spinner to bag five in his first Test, bowled Jadeja for 70 early in the morning session to end an 88-run eighth-wicket partnership with Axar.<br /></p>
<p>Jadeja, a left-hander making his international return from a knee injury, added just four to his overnight 66.<br /></p>
<p>But Axar stood firm in his effort to bat Australia out of the game and found an able ally in number 10 Shami, who made the most of a dropped catch on six.<br /></p>
<p>Shami smashed two fours and three sixes to boost the total before becoming Murphy’s seventh wicket.</p>
<p>Cummins took two wickets and bowled Axar at the stroke of lunch to wrap up the Indian innings. Senior spinner Nathan Lyon took one wicket.<br /></p>
<p>Rohit’s powerful knock of 120 had put the hosts in the driver’s seat after they bundled out Australia for 177 on day one of the opener.<br /></p>
<p>The skipper put on a key stand of 61 with Jadeja, and put India in the lead after they were in a spot at 168/5.<br /></p>
<p>Jadeja set the tone for the thrashing with his figures of 5-47 that helped dismiss the visitors, who elected to bat first, soon after tea on the opening day.<br /></p>
Steve Smith’s unbeaten 25 was the highest individual score in Australia’s sorry-looking second innings scoreboard, which is likely to prompt some soul-searching heading into the second Test in New Delhi from Friday.
Off-spinner Todd Murphy claimed 7-124 in his debut Test in what was the only highlight for world number one Australia, who still lead World Test Championship standings ahead of India.
Rohit Sharma‘s majestic 120 had put India in the box seat and all-rounders Axar Patel (84) and Ravindra Jadeja (70) drove home the advantage on day three of the contest.
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Mohammed Shami (37) chipped in with a breezy cameo down the order before India folded for 400 on the stroke of lunch.
Nagpur: India beat Australia by an innings and 132 runs in first test of Border Gavaskar Trophy
(With inputs from Reuters)
