Nagpur: Player of the Match Ravindra Jadeja’s all round performance helped India to comprehensively beat Australia on Day 3 of first Test of Border-Gavaskar series here on Saturday.
India won the match by bowling out Australia in a session with Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja weaving a magic spell around clueless Aussie batsmen.
Ashwin bagged five wickets for 37, while Jadeja and Mohammad Shami scalped two wickets each, and Axar Patel too chipped in with a wicket.
The Australian batsmen had no solution to tackle the voraciously hungry spinners who also were getting natural variations out of the pitch.
It was not at all surprising that Australia folded their innings at 91 in 32.2 overs in their second innings, giving India a 132-run victory.
Opting to bat first, Australia were bundled out for 177 runs in first innings, despite Labuschagne and Smith building 82 runs stand for third wicket. Jadeja was the prime bowler who bagged 5/47.
In reply, India put 400 total, riding high on Rohit Sharma’s 120 and contributions from Jadeja, Axar and Shami, that helped India take a lead of 223 in first innings.
Unlike in the first innings, Ashwin was brought on to open the attack with the red cherry, and it immediately paid dividends as he tasted the first blood in his very second over by taking Usman Khawaja, out caught in slips.
Ashwin could have had another wicket in his pocket when Virat Kohli dropped David Warner at slips, but the off-spinner had the last laugh by trapping him plumb in front, after the Australian opener had tonked him for two consecutive boundaries. Warner’s review went in vain as DRS adjudged it to be clipping the leg stump.
From the other end, Jadeja dealt blows, trapping Marnus Labuschagne LBW on the backfoot on a turner. Ashwin, however, continued with his magic spell, and had Matt Renshaw leg before too. Peter Handscomb and Alex Carey, also succumbed LBW to Ashwin, giving him a five-fer.
Steve Smith was the only batsman to hang around, while he lost Pat Cummins and Todd Murphy to the bowling of Jadeja and Axar. The former Australian captain survived from becoming the third victim of Jadeja when the umpires declared no-ball.
Australia’s joy was curtailed as Shami had Scott Boland LBW in the next over to hand India a massive win.
Australia’s batting show was pathetic compared to India’s, especially lower order batsmen.
India’s tail end wagged long to frustrate Australia, despite Murphy’s seven-wicket haul, as they added 78 runs, resulting in India taking a 223 runs lead.
Murphy looked like the ominous offspinner to wrap India’s first innings early on. He succeeded in getting an early breakthrough by cleaning up Ravindra Jadeja for 70. But Mohammed Shami and overnight batsman Axar Patel (84) dominated the proceedings, adding 52-run stand.
Shami hammered three glorious sixes and two boundaries in his exciting 37 runs knock, after he got a reprieve from Scott Boland dropped him off Nathan Lyon. This ensured India raced past the 200 runs mark.
Finally Shami fell trying to smash Murphy out of the park for his fourth six. The top edged shot was held by keeper Alex Carey running across.
The last wicket pair added 20 crucial runs as Mohammad Siraj held one end up with tight defence, while Axar eyed for his maiden Test century.
Axar was eventually cleaned up by Pat Cummins with India folding up at 400.
Brief Scores: Australia 177 all out (Marnus Labuschagne 49; R Jadeja 5/47) & 91 all out (Steve Smith 25*; Ashwin 5-37) lost to India 400 all out (Rohit Sharma 120, Ravindra Jadeja 70, Axar Patel 84; Todd Murphy 7-124) by an innings and 132 runs.
