On a top turner in Indore on Friday, Australia defeated India decisively by nine wickets to wrap up the third Test match in just over two days and book their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
It was only India’s third loss in the previous ten years, and they will need to revise their strategies before the final Test, which starts in Ahmedabad on March 9. It will be interesting to see if India’s preference for spin-friendly tracks alters moving forward, as the home team batters are having a terrible time navigating the difficult conditions. The pitches in the series have also received harsh criticism.
In their two attempts, India only managed to score 109 and 163.
Anything was possible on Friday morning, given how Australia had crumbled in the second innings of Nagpur and Delhi. Australia was the favourite to win as they chased a meagre 76, but R Ashwin gave fans hope for a miracle when he caught Usman Khawaja behind in the first delivery of the day.
On its approach to the wicketkeeper, the ball took a sharp turn and received a light tickle. The Australian changing room was more tense after the wicket.
By square cutting Ravindra Jadeja for the first boundary of the day, Labuschagne helped to calm those jitters.
On Friday morning, “anything” was possible given how Australia had faltered in the second innings of Nagpur and Delhi. Australia was the favourite to win as they chased a meagre 76, but R Ashwin gave fans hope for a miracle when he caught Usman Khawaja behind on the first delivery of the day.
On its approach to the wicketkeeper, the ball made a sharp turn and received a light tickle. The Aussie dressing room was more tense as a result of the wicket.
By square cutting Ravindra Jadeja for the first boundary of the day, Labuschagne helped to calm some jitters.
