Australia capitulates in a humiliating batting collapse to lose the first Test against India in three days
Australia lost the first Test against India in Nagpur by a humiliating innings and 132 runs, putting their chances of winning back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in jeopardy.
Australia began their second test behind India by 223 runs, and on the third day at VCA Stadium, they crumbled to be all-out for 91, their second-lowest Test score against India.
Australia was dismissed for 177 on the first day after winning the toss and choosing to bat first, while India scored 400 runs in their lone innings.
On a field that was turning, Australia’s batsmen showed no strategy while facing Ravichandran Ashwin, a talented Indian bowler who starred with statistics of 5-37 and 8 wickets for the game.
The tourists nearly scored 83 in their first Test batting against India at the MCG in 1981.
The visit, which had so much potential as Australia sought to win a Test series in India for the first time since 2004, is in ruins.
India will enter the following match in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium with a 1-0 lead, a place where they have not suffered a Test loss since 1987.
The first Australian game in India in six years began and finished in disarray.
Given his dismal record in Asia following unsuccessful tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year, selectors took a chance by omitting Travis Head, the No. 4-ranked batsman in the world.
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who is still recovering from a broken finger, was sorely missed. It is uncertain whether he will play in Delhi.
The most recent Australian before him was the spinner Jason Krezja in 2008, who finished with stats of 7–124 to become the sixth player from his country to take 7 or more wickets in a Test match.
But India had a much larger number of match-winning batsmen to stifle Australia.
Then, India’s hometown hero and skipper Rohit Sharma blasted a faultless couple of centuries—the tenth in Tests—to rapidly lift the hosts above Australia’s meagre score.
Murphy got consistent wickets, but Jadeja once again humiliated Australia by scoring 70, joining fellow bowler Axar Patel (84 not out) in a key reduced partnership.
Just before midday, India’s innings came to a conclusion; however, Australia’s batsmen were unable to continue until the tea break.
