Australia Dominates India by 10 Wickets in Pink-Ball Test to Level Border-Gavaskar Series
Adelaide [Australia], December 8: A stunning century from Travis Head, along with brilliant bowling performances from Mitchell Starc and captain Pat Cummins, propelled Australia to a dominant 10-wicket victory over India in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
This resounding win saw Australia bounce back from their heavy 295-run defeat at Perth, leveling the five-match series 1-1. Additionally, they maintained their perfect record in pink-ball Tests at Adelaide Oval, securing their eighth consecutive victory at the venue, which has dented India’s hopes in the ICC World Test Championship.
India, opting to bat first after winning the toss, struggled against the swing and seam movement of the pink ball, particularly from Mitchell Starc, the expert in pink-ball cricket. Starc made an early impact by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck, trapping him leg-before-wicket.
KL Rahul (37 from 64 balls, six fours) and Shubman Gill (31 from 51 balls, five fours) had a solid 69-run second-wicket partnership, but India’s innings collapsed quickly after Rahul’s dismissal. Virat Kohli (7), Gill, skipper Rohit Sharma (3), and Rishabh Pant (21 from 35 balls, two fours) fell in quick succession, leaving India reeling at 109/6.
Ravichandran Ashwin (22 from 22 balls, three fours) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (42 from 54 balls, three fours, three sixes) offered some resistance, but India was bowled out for just 180 in 44.1 overs. Starc was the standout with a remarkable 6/48, supported by Pat Cummins (2/36) and Scott Boland (2/32).
In reply, Australia lost Usman Khawaja early, but a solid 67-run partnership between Nathan McSweeney (39 from 109 balls, six fours) and Marnus Labuschagne (64 from 126 balls, nine fours) steadied the innings. Despite losing Steve Smith for just two, Travis Head counter-attacked with brilliance, smashing 140 from 141 balls, including 17 fours and four sixes. His knock helped Australia reach 337 all out in 87.3 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah (4/61) and Mohammed Siraj (4/98) claiming four wickets each.
Australia’s 157-run first-innings lead proved to be decisive. In their second innings, the pace trio of Scott Boland, Cummins, and Starc wreaked havoc on the Indian top order. Jaiswal (24), Gill (28), Rahul (7), and Kohli (11) all failed to capitalize on promising starts. At the end of day two, India was at 128/5.
On the third day, Pant was dismissed for 28, and India’s collapse continued, eventually being bowled out for 175 in 36.5 overs. Cummins took 5/67, his eighth five-wicket haul as captain, while Boland (3/51) and Starc (2/60) provided excellent support. India’s slim lead of 18 runs set Australia a target of just 19 runs to win.
Australia chased down the target effortlessly in 3.2 overs, with Khawaja (10*) and McSweeney (9*) seeing the team home without any issues, securing a commanding victory.