Sports Report
NAGPUR: Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin eviscerated Australia in just over two hours to hand India an inning and 132 runs victory Saturday inside three days of the opening Test.
India took a commanding first-innings lead of 223 in the Nagpur test, then skittled out Australia for 91 runs in an extended second session to take a 1-0 lead in the four test matches series.
Australian batter Steve Smith was left to survey the ruins on 25 runs after Ashwin, who took five wickets in the inning and eight in the match, triggered a total batting collapse inside the second session.
Ashwin rattled the Australian batting with his off-spin as he sent back Usman Khawaja (five), David Warner (10), and Matt Renshaw (two).
Jadeja grabbed five in the first innings and took two wickets, including Marnus Labuschagne trapped lbw for 17.
India’s bowlers rattle Australian batting line
But Ashwin ruled the afternoon session to run through the Australian batting, which fell flat on a pitch where India’s tail scored handsomely in the first session.
Shami bowled Nathan Lyon for the 9th wicket to extend the session and finished the job when he trapped Scott Boland lbw.
Debutant spinner Todd Murphy was the tourists’ only saving grace, adding two more wickets today morning to return figures of 7-124.
Murphy, who on Friday turned out the youngest Australian spin bowler to bag five in his first Test, bowled Jadeja for 70-run early in the morning session to end an 88-run partnership with Axar.
Jadeja added just four to his overnight 66-run.
But Axar stood committed to taking Australia out of the game and found a confident ally in number 10 Shami, who made the most of a dropped catch on six.
Skipper Pat Cummins claimed two wickets and bowled Axar before lunch to wrap up the Indian innings. Spin bowler Nathan Lyon took one wicket.
Rohit Sharma’s powerful knock of 120-run put the hosts in the driver’s seat after they bowled out Australia for 177-run on day one of the opening test matches.
Rohit put on a key stand of 61-run with Jadeja and put India in the lead after the early debacle as they were in a spot at 168-5.
