Jadeja leads Australia's rout, India take 2-0 series lead

19.02.2023 - 12:05 channelnewsasia.com

NEW DELHI : Ravindra Jadeja led Australia's demolition with the ball as India triumphed by six wickets inside three days of the second test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 2-0 lead in the four-match series on Sunday.Jadeja claimed a career-best 7-42 as he and Ravichandran Ashwin (3-59) routed Australia for a paltry 113 in their second innings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.Chasing 115 for victory, India's top order did wobble but the meagre target meant their victory, which came in the second session on day three, was never in doubt.Skipper Rohit Sharma made 31 and Cheteshwar Pujara, who made 31 not out, scored the winning run in his 100th test.Earlier, resuming on a promising 61-1, Australia added 52 runs before Jadeja and Ashwin engineered a spectacular collapse.Asked to open in place of a concussed David Warner, Travis Head drove the third ball of the day from Ashwin for a boundary to signal his attacking intent.The off-spinner, however, had his revenge three balls later when he drew Head (43) forward to induce an edge that Srikar Bharat collected behind the stumps.Once Jadeja sent back Marnus Labuschagne (35), the wheels came off Australia's innings with nine of the 11 batsmen posting single digit scores.On a pitch where spinners ruled the roost, several Australian batsmen fluffed their sweep shots to be either bowled or lbw.The third test in Indore will begin on March 1.

bowling David Warner Rohit Sharma Marnus Labuschagne Cheteshwar Pujara Australia India New Delhi

The performance of Indian bowlers on Day 1 of the fourth Test match between India and Australia in Ahmedabad was uneven to say the least. While the hosts were able to take two wickets in the first session, most bowlers struggled with consistency and Usman Khawaja's brilliant ton meant that Australia ended Day 1 in the driving seat. However, the one India player who earned praise for his commitment on the field was skipper Rohit Sharma. Rohit looked proactive with his captaincy and kept trying out different bowling combinations to trouble the visitors. During the drinks break before Cameron Green came out to bat for Australia, Rohit was caught on video having an animated conversation with the team as he gestured towards the scoreboard and instructed his teammates.

"No Way In World...": Ricky Ponting's Stern Take On Ahmedabad Pitch For 4th Test

The debate over the Indore pitch for the the third Test between India and Australia, does not seem to end anytime soon. The pitch at the Holkar Stadium in Indore offered a lot of turn, which came as a blessing for the spinners but as a nightmare for the batters as a total of 31 wickets fell in three days of play. The match finally ended on Day 3 with the visitors bagging a nine-wicket victory and securing their place in the World Test Championship final. As the fourth Test is just around the corner, skipper Rohit Sharma had hinted that Team India might go for a green top pitch, in order to prepare for the WTC finals, which will be played at the Oval in London. However, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting dismissed all the claims and stated that the hosts would be opting for a rank turner instead of a green pitch as they need to win the fourth Test in order to enter the WTC final.

"Opportunity Might Not Come...": Ricky Ponting Fires Warning To Australia Star

Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes David Warner missed an opportunity to hang up his boots in Test cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground earlier this year but believes the opener is set to make a comeback in the format. Warner's Test future is in doubt after he had to fly back to Australia following the second Test in Delhi after suffering a concussion and fracturing his elbow. His Test form has been a growing concern since 2022. In 14 matches, Warner has scored just 607 runs at 26.39 which includes a double-century in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.

"In Pakistan, There Were ...": Rohit Sharma's Cheeky Take On India-Australia Matches Ending In 3 Days

Seemed down an out after suffering defeats in Nagpur and Delhi, Australia made a strong comeback in the just-concluded third against India, clinching a nine-wicket win to make 1-2 in the four-match series. Inspired by Nathan Lyon's 11-wicket haul in the match and five-for from Matthew Kuhnemann in the first innings, Australia made life difficult for the India batters. India crumbled to 109 in the first innings, and if wasn't for Cheteshwar Pujara's half-century in the second innings, the hosts could've lost the game by an innings.

Cheteshwar Pujara 'Jumpy', Shreyas Iyer 'Panicker': Australia Great's Brutal Take

India captain Rohit Sharma's decision to bat against Australia in the ongoing third Test in Indore didn't go as planned as the hosts were bowled out for a paltry total of 109 in the first innings. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann was the pick of the bowlers for Australia as the 26-year-old bagged his maiden Test five-for. However, former Australia captain Ian Chappell criticised the Indian batters, particularly Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer, for "Australian-type batting" on the opening day in Indore.