Adelaide [Australia], December 8 (ANI): Following Australia’s 10 wicket win in the second Adelaide Test against India, Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey heaped praises on pacer Mitchell Starc, whose six-wicket haul in first innings set the tone for a win, calling him a “proven champion of Australian cricket. He also praised explosive batter Travis Head’s “consistency in his methods”.
Starc’s six-wicket haul established his supremacy in pink-ball Tests while Head continued to be a headache for India as his counter-attacking was the final nail in the coffin for India, who succumbed to a 10-wicket loss in the Adelaide pink-ball Test after the highs of a 295-run win at Perth in the first Test. The series is now level at 1-1.
Speaking in the post-match presentation, Carey said, “A great result, what a place it is to play cricket it is, a beautiful venue. To call it our home venue, Travis and I and Nathan now, a fantastic win. (On Starc) He is a proven champion of Australian cricket, not just with the red ball, he is probably the greatest pink ball bowler. He has been fantastic again. he bowled really well in Perth and got the rewards this week. (On Head) He has really found his straps over the last couple of years, he is just so consistent in his methods. We love watching it, chaotic at times, but it comes off quite often than not. He plays his best when it’s the hardest situation to come out and bat. Marnus and Nathan really set it up and Trav took the game away from India.”
With this six-wicket haul and two more wickets in the second innings, Starc now has 74 wickets in 13 pink-ball Tests at an average of just over 18, with best figures of 6/48 and four five-wicket hauls. He is the highest wicket-taker in pink-ball Test cricket, with his closest competitor being compatriot and spinner Nathan Lyon (43 in 13 matches at an average of 25.62).
Head has a fine record against India in Tests, scoring 955 runs in 12 Tests and 21 innings at an average of 47.75, with two centuries and four fifties. His best score is 163. Across all formats against India, Head has made 1,555 runs in 29 matches and 38 innings at an average of 44.42, with three centuries and six fifties and best score of 163.
In his last ten innings against India across all formats, including this one, Travis has made 728 runs across all formats in eight matches, averaging 72.80, with three centuries and two fifties to his name and best score of 163* during WTC finals. This also includes a knock of 137 in the 50-over WC finals.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and opted to bat first. However, they had to face the wrath of a moving, erratic pink-ball and its mastermind, Mitchell Starc (6/48). Except for a 69-run stand for the second wicket between KL Rahul (37 in 64 balls with six fours) and Shubman Gill (31 in 51 balls, with five fours) and a fighting 42 in 54 balls (three fours and three sixes) from Nitish Kumar Reddy, there was not much highlights from India who were skittled out for 180 runs. Skipper Cummins and Scott Boland also took two wickets.
In the first innings, a 67-run partnership between Nathan McSweeney (39 in 109 balls, with six fours) and Marnus Labuschagne (64 in 126 balls, with nine fours) for second wicket set the platform for Travis Head to impose his domination over Indian bowlers yet again with a counter-attacking 140 in 141 balls, with 17 fours and four sixes, just when Aussies lost some regular wickets. His century took Australia to 337 runs and gave them a 157-run lead.
Jasprit Bumrah (4/61) and Mohammed Siraj (4/98) were top bowlers for India. Ravichandran and Nitish got a wicket each.
In their second innings, India appeared even more toothless as the star-studded top-order and middle-order returned back to pavillion despite starts from Jaiswal (24 in 31 balls, with four boundaries), Gill (28 in 30 balls, with three fours) while KL Rahul (7) and Virat Kohli (11 in 21 balls with a four) failed to score well. India ended day two at 128/5.
On the third day, Pant also lost his wicket for 28 in 31 balls, with five fours. From there on, it was not looking back for Aussies, who skittled out India for 175 runs in 36.5 overs. India lead by just 18 runs, setting Aussies 19 runs to win.
Skipper Cummins (5/67) took a majestic five-wicket haul, his eighth as a captain. Boland took 3/51 while Starc took 2/60.
Set a target of 19 runs, Khawaja (10*) and McSweeney (9*) chased it down without breaking a sweat in 3.2 overs. (ANI)
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