Australia moved into the driver’s seat as they ended Indian innings at 36, the visitors’ lowest total in Test history, in the first session on the third day of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Pat Cummins took four for 21 in 10.2 overs while Josh Hazlewood took five for eight in five overs to shared the nine wickets as India innings ended at 36/9, their lowest-ever innings total in their 82-year Test cricket history. India’s worst Test innings total before this was 42 against Mike Denness’s England at Lord’s in 1974.
Mohammed Shami, the No. 11 batsmen, retired hurt and could not bat.
Australia, who need 90 runs in the second innings to win the first Test and take 1-0 lead after India had taken a 53-run lead in the first innings, went into the dinner break at the end of the first session at 15 without loss with openers Joe Burns (batting 0) and Matthew Wade (batting 14)still in.
“The pitch played its part but the batting was not up to mark. The bowling was brilliant,” said former Australia pace bowler Glenn McGrath at the end of the innings.
India, who began at the overnight score of nine for one, had a nightmarish start when they lost four wickets at the team total of 15 and then four runs later at 19 lost their sixth wicket in the form of skipper Virat Kohli.
They then lost Wriddhiman Saha and R. Ashwin on successive deliveries to be 26 for eight. Hanuma Vihari then scored a four and got a single to get India clear of the three lowest scores in Test history, 26 by New Zealand and 30 twice by South Africa.
However, Vihari fell as the ninth batsman at the team score of 31.
Earlier, India lost four wickets on 15. Overnight batsman Jasprit Bumrah, who had walked in as nightwatchman on Friday was caught and bowled by Pat Cummins off a change of pace. Then Cheteshwar Pujara was caught behind off Cummins’s delivery that moved just a bit as the India No. 3 fell for an eight-ball duck.
Josh Hazlewood then got two wickets in one over as he removed opener Mayank Agarwal, getting him caught behind off his first ball, and followed it up with the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane, who was also caught behind for a four-ball duck.
Skipper Virat Kohli got a four towards third man but was soon after caught at gully by Cameron Green off Cummins.
The carnage by Aussies saw India lose five wickets for four runs in 5.4 overs, from 15/1 to 19/6.
They were 26 for eight at the drinks break.
At the score of 26, they lost Wriddhiman Saha, caught at short midwicket, and R. Ashwin who was caught behind to be eight down for 26.
The Indian innings lasted just 21.2 overs.
Brief scores: India 244 and 36 for nine (J. Hazlewood 5/8, P. Cummins 4/21) vs Australia 191 and 15/0.
