Australia wrapped up an emphatic 10-wicket victory over India inside three days of the day-night second test in Adelaide to level the five-match series at 1-1.
With India starting the third morning at 128-5 in their second innings, still trailing by 29 runs, the dangerous Rishabh Pant (28) departed to the sixth ball of the day to all but end any hope of a stirring fightback from the visitors.
Pat Cummins promptly cleaned up the tail, the Australia captain finishing with 5-57 as India were bowled out for 175, leaving his side only 19 runs to chase down – only Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 42 sparing the tourists from an innings defeat.
Openers Nathan McSweeney (10no) and Usman Khawaja (9no) would need only 20 deliveries to tick off the required runs to level things up between the sides heading into the third Test in Brisbane on Saturday, December 14.
India had comprehensively beaten their hosts by 295 runs in the series opener in Perth, but were dominated pretty much from ball one of the second Test.
Mitchell Starc’s career-best figures of 6-48 bundled the touring side out for 180 in their first innings, before Travis Head smashed a blistering 140 off 141 balls to propel Australia to 337, and a 157-run lead, in reply.
Australia’s quicks then dismantled India’s top order again in the second innings, under lights late on day two, to leave the Test firmly in their grasp heading into the third morning.
And they would not let it slip, Starc (2-60) securing the key scalp of Pant, poking to second slip, in the opening over, before Cummins set about the tail.
Ravichandran Ashwin (7) was caught behind when looking to pull, Harshit Rana (0) couldn’t fend off a rising delivery and was caught at backward point, while Reddy was pouched at deep third in pursuit of quick runs as he ran out of partners.
His defiant 42 at least ensured Australia would have to bat again, but their target was insignificant as Scott Boland (3-51) swiftly wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Mohammed Siraj (7).
