PUNE: An inexplicable batting collapse left India staring down the barrel as left-arm spinner Steeve O’Keefe’s career-best six-wicket haul gave Australia a firm grip on the first cricket Test, here today.
The home team lost 7 wickets in the space of 11 runs to be bowled out for a pathetic 105, handing the momentum to the Australians, who had themselves folded for an underwhelming 260 here. With a 155-run cushion on a square turner, Australia pressed home the advantage by finishing the day at 143/4 in their second innings, grabbing a lead of 298 runs on just the second day of the match. India’s dramatic batting meltdown has left Steve Smith’s men well-placed to end the hosts’ fairytale 19-match winning streak.
If the shambolic batting was not enough, India ended up dropping several catches, three of Smith alone after R Ashwin had provided early breakthroughs in the Australian second innings. At stumps, Smith was leading from front with an unbeaten 59-run knock and giving him company was Mitchell Marsh (21).
The day, however, belonged solely to O’Keefe, who single-handedly decimated the famed Indian line-up to snare 6 wickets for 35 runs in 13.1 overs.
Opener K L Rahul was the lone Indian batsman to pull off an innings of substance as he struck 64 off 97 balls, laced with 10 fours and a six.
It was a sensational post-lunch spell by Malaysia-born O’Keefe, who was playing only his fifth Test. His 6 wickets came off just 24 balls. Ravichandran Ashwin took out openers David Warner (10) and Shaun Marsh (0) cheaply during Australia’s second essay but Smith steered the visitors to a position of strength.
For India Ashwin had figures of 3 for 68 while Jayant Yadav finished the day with 1 for 27.
With six wickets in hand Australia will now fancy their chances of putting the target beyond India tomorrow and clinching the match on a pitch that appears to be crumbling.
The story of the day was the abject capitulation of the Indian batting order as they lost seven wickets for 35 runs in 15.1 overs in the post lunch session to be all out 65 minutes into the second period of play. The surrender is their worst after losing 7 for 18 at Christchurch against New Zealand in 1989-90.
The Indian captain was dismissed for a duck for the first time at home and for only the fifth time in his 54-Test career. He had averaged 80 plus by tallying 1457 runs in the last 13 Tests.
score board
Australia 1st innings 260/10
India 1st innings
M Vijay c †Wade b Hazlewood 10
KL Rahul c Warner b O’Keefe 64
CA Pujara c †Wade b Starc 06
V Kohli* c Handscomb b Starc 00
AM Rahane c Handscomb b O’Keefe 13
R Ashwin c Handscomb b Lyon 01
WP Saha† c Smith b O’Keefe 00
RA Jadeja c Starc b O’Keefe 02
J Yadav st †Wade b O’Keefe 02
UT Yadav c Smith b O’Keefe 04
I Sharma not out 02
Extras 01
Total 105/10
Australia 2nd innings
DA Warner lbw b Ashwin 10
SE Marsh lbw b Ashwin 00
SPD Smith* not out 59
PSP Handscomb c Vijay b Ashwin 19
MT Renshaw c Sharma b J Yadav 31
MR Marsh not out 21
Extras 03
Total 143/4