On this day in 2018: India defy all odds to trump Australia in Adelaide
There are certainly some highly rated and anticipated rivalries in cricket. There is the Ashes between Australia and England, arguably the most exciting of all. There is India and Pakistan, a rivalry that extends much beyond a cricket field. But there is something altogether different about India and Australia. There is a different joy which comes along an India versus Australia series, and the rivalry has a sufficient history attached to it.
Home advantage is certainly a factor, and as is the case with most of the teams, defeating them in their den is always a tedious task. To defeat the Aussies in their backyard is no small feat, and they undoubtedly have a reputation of being one of the toughest to beat, let alone home or away. However, on this day in 2018, India defeated the hosts at Adelaide in the first Test of the four-match series.
⭐ Cheteshwar Pujara 123 and 71
⭐ Jasprit Bumrah 6/115
⭐ R Ashwin 6/149#OnThisDay in 2018, India registered their first win in Australia in 10 years when they won the first Test in Adelaide by 31 runs ? pic.twitter.com/wkuwdgPdh8— ICC (@ICC) December 10, 2020
Pujara stands tall
Having won the toss, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to bat first. Courtesy of a rock-solid century from Pujara (123 from 246) and some modest contributions from Rohit Sharma (37), Rishabh Pant, and R Ashwin (25 each), India took their first-innings lead to 250. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers in the first innings as he bagged three, whereas Starc, Cummins, and Lyon got two apiece.
After wrapping up India for an unassertive score, Australia must have backed themselves to take a considerable lead. However, some impressive new-ball bowling from Ishant Sharma, alongside some guileful work of Ashwin, pushed Australia on the back foot as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Travis Head’s 72 was the only highlight for them as they fell 15 short of India’s tally to finish on 235. While Ishant and Shami bagged a couple of wickets each, Bumrah and Ashwin got three each as they wrapped up the Australian lower order.
Coming to bat in the second innings, Indian registered fair contributions from KL Rahul (44) and half-centuries from Pujara (71) and Rahane (70), which led them to 307 before being dismissed. Spinner Nathan Lyon wreaked havoc with the ball as he was alone responsible to dismiss more than half of the Indian line up as he added 6 more wickets to his 2 from the first innings.
Bowlers deliver a sweet win
Chasing 323 runs to win, the home side was pushed in deep trouble after half of their side went back to the pavilion with merely 115 on the board. Though Shaun Marsh (60) held one end up firmly, none amongst Finch (11), Marcus Harris (26), Usman Khwaja (8), Peter Handscomb (14), or Travis Head (14) could make any notable contributions with the bat.
After the lacklustre show from the top order, skipper Paine (41) and the lower order – Cummins (28), Starc (28), and Lyon (38) – frustrated the Indian bowlers through their resistance. Despite their resilience, Bumrah and Shami, doing what they are known for, dismissed the tail patiently as Australia fell 31 runs short to give India a famous win and 1-0 lead in the 4-match series.
