Australia turned the tables on India with a nine-wicket win in the third Test on a track with a wicked turn and variable bounce, confirming their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in Indore on Friday.
Travis Head (49 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (28 not out) overcame some nervous moments to help Australia win in 18.5 overs in just over two days.
Wins in India are uncommon for visiting teams, and Australia is no exception, having recorded their first victory on Indian soil in six years. It was only India’s third defeat in the last ten years, and they will need to rethink their strategy ahead of the final Test, which begins on March 9 in Ahmedabad.
The pitches in the series have also received harsh criticism, but based on Rohit Sharma’s thoughts on the subject, a raging turner can be expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India’s batters have struggled against the spinning ball, and Rohit wants them to step up and find a way to score runs.
The hosts scored 109 and 163 in their two innings here, with the top order once again letting the team down.
“On pitches like these, you must find a way to score runs, and you must do so in your unique way. We were underwhelmed with the bat in both innings “Rohit stated following the defeat.
Given Australia’s collapses in the second innings of Nagpur and Delhi, “anything” was possible on Friday morning.
Australia were favorites chasing a meagre 76, but R Ashwin raised hopes of a miracle by catching Usman Khawaja behind in the second ball of the day.
The ball took a sharp turn and a light tickle on its way to the wicketkeeper. The wicket heightened the tension in the Australian dressing room.
Labuschagne calmed some nerves by square-cutting Ravindra Jadeja for the day’s first boundary.
In the first ten overs, both Labuschagne and Head, who is known for his attacking approach, were looking to defend, with Australia reaching 13 for one.
However, the momentum shifted decisively in Australia’s favour following the ball change following the 10th over.
Even after the change of ball, Ashwin was unhappy, and it showed in his bowling. In the 11th over, Head smashed the star Indian spinner for four and six over mid-on as the premier spinner was guilty of bowling too full.
Head attacked Jadeja in the next over, hitting one straight over the bowler’s head, giving Labuschagne confidence to go for the sweep in the same over, bringing the score to 35 for one in 12 overs.
There was no turning back for the Australian duo who had gained enough confidence to go for their shots after that.
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Labuschagne hit the winning runs, a four over midwicket, to cap off an unforgettable victory.
