 "Ashwin, Jadeja and Rohit star as India clinch comprehensive innings win over Australia in Nagpur")
Nagpur: A wily Ravichandran Ashwin blew away a panic-stricken Australia with a fifer as India dismantled the visitors’ second innings in a single session to win the opening Test by comprehensive innings and 132 run margin, on Saturday. After taking a massive 223-run first-innings lead, India decimated Australia for just 91 in 32.3 overs with the Test match finishing inside three days at Jamtha. It’s rare that an Australian innings folds inside one session. Read | Ashwin equals Kumble's home record with another Test fifer After Axar Patel’s career-best 84 and Mohammed Shami’s entertaining 37 took India to a commanding first innings total of 400, Ashwin (5/37) literally mauled the Australians with the new ball, taking his 31st five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗴𝗽𝘂𝗿! #TeamIndia 🇮🇳 win by an innings & 1️⃣3️⃣2️⃣ runs and take a 1️⃣-0️⃣ lead in the series 👏🏻👏🏻
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 11, 2023
What a start to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 👌🏻
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/SwTGoyHfZx…#INDvAUS | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/jCVDsoJ3i6
The Australian batters once again made the cardinal mistake of playing the pitch rather than the bowler and looked utterly confused about whether to defend or attack. The Indian innings showed that demons were in the minds of Australian batters and not in the 22-yard strip. The intent was to be positive but even with all the simulated training sessions, it was always going to be difficult to read Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja (2/34), latter playing the second fiddle this time. They didn’t have the slightest clue which one was turning and which one was coming straight. Usman Khawaja (5) after hitting a boundary was lured with a tossed up off-break outside his off-stump and his half slash-half drive effort went into Virat Kohli’s hands in the slips. Marnus Labuschagne (17) hit a few boundaries but when Jadeja flighted one which turned a shade after pitching, the right-hander premeditatedly rocked onto the back foot rather than coming on the front foot. The result was an easy leg-before decision.
An all-round match-winning performance to mark a memorable return! 🙌🏻@imjadeja becomes the Player of the Match as #TeamIndia win by an innings & 132 runs 👏🏻
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 11, 2023
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/SwTGoyHfZx…#INDvAUS | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/VBGfjqB4dZ
David Warner’s (10) stay was a struggle and after he charged Ashwin to get two boundaries, Ashwin bowled a slider and he wasn’t half forward this time and got rapped on the pads. Matt Renshaw was then trapped on the back foot and right-hander Peter Handscomb got a classical off-break which would have disturbed the timber anyway. Alex Carey for the second time went for a non-existent sweep shot and perished. Steve Smith could only helplessly watch as wickets fell like nine pins at the other end. He tried delaying the inevitable without much success. Mohammed Shami (2/13), after a solid batting show, put the final nail in the Australian coffin by trapping Scott Boland.
How many Australian teams have come to India and played like this? This is embarrassing performance from them. #INDvsAUS
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 11, 2023
Earlier, Axar Patel’s resolute 84 and Shami’s entertaining 37 gave India a massive 223-run first innings lead. The hosts posted 400 by third day lunch session after resuming the day at 321 for seven. They wouldn’t have envisaged that Australia had lost it in their minds even before they came out to bat for the second time. India had practically out-batted Australia on a track that the visiting media alleged was “doctored”. Jadeja (70) and Patel began the proceedings but the former did not last long as he shouldered arms to a Murphy delivery that was fired in from an angle and crashed onto the stumps. The pitch didn’t change its character much and it remained a slow turner where any batter, ready to grind, would get runs. Lunch was taken when Indian innings ended. Read | Jadeja fined 25 per cent match fee for applying cream Shami, who was dropped on 6 by Boland at long-on off Nathan Lyon, decided to launch a swift counter-attack on opposition best bowler Todd Murphy (7/124). He hit the bespectacled off-spinner for three sixes – a slog sweep over mid-wicket, a flat six over long-off and monstrous hit over long-on – apart from a couple of boundaries during his 47-ball stay. Adding 50-plus runs in just over an hour (65 minutes) was laudable and Patel on his part gave Shami the bulk of the strike. If Australia had any chance of wrapping it up, Boland’s goof-up proved costly as Shami made them pay dearly. While Murphy has been impressive on debut, Lyon’s (1/126) performance has been disappointing, to say the least as his bowling lacked the bite. Almost all the Indian batters found it easy to defend the veteran off-spinner off the back foot. Once Shami was dismissed going for his fourth maximum off Murphy, Patel decided to attack and lofted the debutant straight into the sightscreen for his first six. His and India’s innings ended when he was bowled by rival skipper Pat Cummins. Read all the Latest News ****, Trending News ****, Cricket News ****, Bollywood News ****, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook****, Twitter and Instagram****.
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