India skittled for 36 - their lowest-ever Test score and the lowest seen in the format since 1955 - as Australia win series opener in Adelaide; Josh Hazlewood takes 5-8 and Pat Cummins 4-21 before hosts ease to eight-wicket win
Saturday 19 December 2020 13:13, UK
India were skittled for 36 - their lowest-ever Test score - during a stunning passage of play as Australia romped to an eight-wicket win inside three days of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide.
India, who resumed day three on 9-1 with a lead of 62, lost eight wickets for 22 runs in the first session before last man Mohammed Shami injured his arm while facing Pat Cummins and had to retire hurt.
Josh Hazlewood took 5-8 from five overs, while Cummins snared 4-21 from 10.2 as the tourists' innings lasted only 21.2 overs in total and 15.2 overs on the day - Mayank Agarwal top-scoring with nine as India disintegrated.
Virat Kohli's side's meagre total was the joint-fifth lowest score in Test history and the lowest seen in the format since 1955 when New Zealand were bowled out for only 26 by England in Auckland.
Australia reached their target of 90 in 21 overs for the loss of only Matthew Wade (33) and Marnus Labuschagne (6), with opener Joe Burns (51no) smashing the match-winning six off Umesh Yadav.
The home side have moved 1-0 up in the four-match series, which continues in Melbourne from Boxing Day, with Hazlewood and Cummins the architects of the victory.
Cummins began the procession of wickets when he caught nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah (2) off his own bowling in the second over of the day and followed that by having Cheteshwar Pujara (0) caught behind in the sixth.
India had tumbled from 15-1 to 15-5 when Hazlewood began his spell with a double-wicket maiden, the lofty paceman forcing Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane (0) to snick behind to wicketkeeper Tim Paine.
Cummins made it 19-6 when he had Kohli (4) caught by a juggling Cameron Green at gully after the India captain - who is flying home after this Test to be with his pregnant wife and will miss the final three games of the series, in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane - attempted a cover drive.
Four overs went by without another wicket, only for Hazlewood to then strike from successive deliveries as Wriddhiman Saha (4) chipped to midwicket and Ravichandran Ashwin (0) edged his first ball behind - India now 26-8.
Ashwin's wicket was Hazlewood's 200th scalp in Test cricket and he made that 201 and a five-wicket haul on the day when Hanuma Vihari (8) was caught behind a couple of overs later.
India were 31-9 at that stage and after Shami shovelled away a single and Umesh (4no) top-edged Hazlewood for four, the visitors' dismal innings came to a close when Shami retired after being struck by Cummins.
India skipper Virat Kohli: "It's very hard to put my feelings into words. We collapsed completely. When you work hard for two days, then literally an hour puts you in a position where it's impossible to win, it really hurts. It's something that needs to be reflected on and learned from, and we need to put in better performances going forward."
Australia captain Tim Paine: "We were expecting a real dogfight right to the end but it shows the talent we have with the ball. If there's anything in the wicket and our boys execute, that is what can happen. I'm rapped with how we bowled in this Test but we still have a lot of work to do with our batting. To win and not be anywhere near our best fills our team with confidence."
The game had been right in the balance after two days in Adelaide, only for Australia to dramatically turn it on its head with the ball on day three.
India ended day one on 233-6 after electing to bat, with Australia the happier of the two sides at that point having pegged the tourists back with three late wickets, including the run out of Kohli for 74.
India were only able to add 11 runs to that total on day two before being dismissed for 244 - Cummins ending with 3-48 and Mitchell Starc snaring 4-53 - but they then reduced Australia to 111-7.
However, Paine's unbeaten 73 helped the hosts put on 80 for the final three wickets and battle up to 191 all out and trail by only 53 on first innings.
The late wicket of Prithvi Shaw for four gave Australia momentum heading into day three - and they didn't let-up.
