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19-12-2020
Bureau Report
ADELAIDE/ OVAL: Josh Hazlewood took five for eight as Australia romped to an emphatic victory by eight wickets in the first Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday after skittling India for 36, their lowest innings score in 88 years of Test cricket.
Hazlewood and Pat Cummins (4-21) turned a tight Test on its head in a devastating spell of pace bowling to open the third day of the day-night test, ripping through the much-vaunted Indian batting lineup in less than two hours.
Australia chased down the victory target of 90 for the loss of Matthew Wade (33) and Marnus Labuschagne (six) to take a 1-0 lead in the series with Tests to come in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Opener Joe Burns gave his confidence a much-needed boost with an unbeaten 51, including a six to secure the victory, while Steve Smith added a single to help get the hosts across the line before the second break of the day.
The margin of victory will be a hefty blow to India’s morale as well as their hopes of repeating their maiden Test series triumph in Australia two years ago.
None of India’s batsmen, including the prolific Virat Kohli, managed to get into double figures in the second innings – only the second time that has happened to any team in a test match.
Their innings score was the lowest in 544 Tests going back to 1932 – worse than their previous low of 42 against England at Lords in 1974 – and only two countries have managed fewer runs in the long history of the format.
The tourists will already be without Kohli for the rest of the series as the skipper returns home for the birth of his first child but they will also now be sweating on the fitness of Mohammed Shami.
The paceman took a blow to the forearm from a short Cummins delivery and was unable to bat on, bringing an end to India’s dismal innings when he retired hurt.
Lowest innings totals in Test cricket
26 – New Zealand vs England, Auckland, 1955
30 – South Africa vs England, Port Elizabeth, 1896
30 – South Africa vs England, Birmingham, 1924
35 – South Africa vs England, Cape Town, 1899
36 – South Africa vs Australia, Melbourne, 1932
36 – Australia vs England, Birmingham, 1902
36 – India vs Australia, Adelaide, 2020
38 – Ireland vs England, London, 2019
