A maiden five-wicket haul at the Adelaide Oval for captain Pat Cummins has dealt the final blow to India’s chances in the second Test, with Australia quickly finishing off the visitors’ innings before knocking off a miniscule run chase to square the series 1-1.
Having bounced back brilliantly from their first Test horror show in Perth across the first two days in the city of churches, victory was all but secure for Australia when Rishabh Pant edged Mitchell Starc to Steve Smith at slip in the first over of Day 3.
After threatening to haul India back into the match with a dazzling, extraordinary counterattack on the third evening, Pant’s fall for 28, with the visitors still 29 runs in arrears, put paid to any hopes of a remarkable turnaround.
Only a second dazzling cameo for the Test from all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who walloped six fours and a six in a rapid-fire 42, even forced Australia to bat again, though he’d too succumb for 42 after uppercutting Cummins to third man to complete the captain’s five-for.
Having already removed Ravichandran Ashwin (7) and Harshit Rana (0) on Day 3, Cummins’ feat would have tasted extra sweet, with he and the team having come in for mounting criticism after their defeat in Perth.
As popular as any of the wickets among the Adelaide Oval faithful was the short-ball onslaught Cummins sent Mohammed Siraj’s way, after the Indian quick’s fiery send-off of Travis Head on Day 2 ensured the Indian quick was booed both throughout his batting innings and when he was given the ball in Australia’s chase.
A dropped catch by a diving Alex Carey to spare Siraj first ball and deny Cummins a sixth was Australia’s only blemish; but perhaps more fittingly, Siraj and his team’s innings was ended by a Head catch running back with the flight.
Having mustered just 175 – five fewer than their first innings total – a mere 19 runs were required for Australia to claim victory; a smaller but no less encouraging sign of promise was Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja making simple work of the chase to end proceedings after less than four overs.
A crunching McSweeney cut shot for four made for one last happy memory for the relocated South Australian, while Khawaja, whose spot in the team has come under scrutiny after a poor start to the series, will have been undoubtedly relieved to survive unscathed, even pulling Siraj for the winning boundary to complete a perfect comeback.
Australia’s vast improvement – and continuation of their dominant record with the pink ball – ensures a blockbuster series will only gather momentum ahead of the third Test at the Gabba, beginning next Saturday.
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Tim Millerhttps://https://ift.tt/YmkpyqV squared! Cummins five-for finishes off India as Aussies canter to comeback triumph
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