Ashwin sends Oz down under, India level series
FIGHTBACK Spinner returns with sixwicket haul as hosts win Bangalore Test by 75 runs
BANGALORE: India’s sensational victory over Australia here will surely rank among their famous results, home or away, for the sheer fight Virat Kohli and his team showed after looking down and out. India, in the end, hurtled to a 75-run win at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday, after tea on Day Four to square the four-Test series 1-1.
For most of the previous two days they seemed to be on a sapping uphill trek, one step at a time, much like what they undertook after the three-day debacle in Pune, which left them facing several questions.
Cheteshwar Pujara is happy to be the quiet accumulator and exemplified the way India slowly reined in an upbeat Australia before Ravichandran Ashwin captured 6/41 to send India racing to victory in the end.
Pujara missed out on his 11th Test century but all season, as India have dominated at home, he’s set up one game after another, and he found a perfect ally in Ajinkya Rahane.
India, overnight 213/4, were still not safe, and the 118-run fifth-wicket partnership was put in perspective by the batting collapse that saw India lose their last six wickets for 36 runs. Pujara and Rahane, who had answered questions about his ability to play spin, negotiated the spin of Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe with their positive intent. India were 151 runs ahead when Rahane fell.
Josh Hazlewood said after the third day that he and Mitchell Starc had bowled the wrong ‘Australian line’, which is outside off-stump. On Tuesday, they were direct with the second new ball, and the result was Hazlewood capturing a career-best 6/63, including the wicket of Pujara. Rahane had been trapped leg before by Starc after Steve Smith promptly took the new ball. The two fast bowlers shared eight wickets.India might have felt they were a few runs short, but for Wriddhiman Saha, who made 20 not out, and No 11 Ishant Sharma, who helped add 16 runs for the last wicket.
Kohli’s bowling changes was spot on as Ashwin and Co brought Australia under pressure. The start was promising, but Ishant and Umesh were once again brilliant, and were helped by the vagaries of the pitch. Once Ishant had Matt Renshaw nicking behind the stumps and Ashwin trapped David Warner (17), the pressure was on.
Bringing Ravindra Jadeja on, and then replacing him with Umesh after one over, paid immediate dividends as he had Shaun Marsh, the first-innings top-scorer, as well as skipper Smith leg before.
Ashwin was unplayable as he made the ball rip off the rough. At tea, India were in control with Australia down to 101/6. It was clear the match won’t go into the final day. Ishant leaked 13 runs in one over, but Jadeja came on to plug the runs as Ashwin ensured Australia were gone in less than 36 overs. India have twice come back to win a home series after losing the first Test. The body language of Smith though suggested it will take a lot for the visitors to regroup.