Like India did to them, Australia too halt a special run

NEW DELHI: Australia’s crushing 333-run defeat of India in the Pune Test on Saturday, among other things, also would have given the visitors extra joy of having returned the compliments.

Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe’s 12 for 70, a record haul by an Australian bowler against India, handed Steve Smith’s men victory in less than three days on a turning track at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium.

It stopped Virat Kohli’s side on the tracks, having built up an Indian record 20-Test unbeaten run, going back to the 2015 Sri Lanka series. It had as many as 17 wins with just three draws, with the win over Bangladesh in the one-off Test helping eclipse the previous Indian unbeaten mark of 19.

It was payback time for Australia, who had landed in India for the 2001 three-Test series on an unbeaten 15-match streak. Although the formidable Steve Waugh-led side wrapped up victory in the first Test in Mumbai in three days, Sourav Gangulyled India made a remarkable comeback to stop the Aussies’ victory run at 16.

India did it to Australia once again on the 2007-8 tour Down Under, when they halted Australia’s fresh 16-match winning run by storming their citadel, at Perth.With India dismissed for 105 and 107 in Pune, where they floundered against spin, the task is cut out as the bid to rebuild a fresh streak.

INDIA DID IT TO OZ ONCE AGAIN ON THE 20078 TOUR, WHEN THEY HALTED THEIR RUN BY STORMING THEIR CITADEL, AT PERTH.