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Events of the third day of the Pink Ball Test between Australia and India may take some time to sink, even for neutrals. India, resuming the day with an upper edge over the host side, drastically imploded in Adelaide to concede an 8-wicket loss.
When Mayank Agarwal and nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah took the crease to continue the Indian innings, the side was 9/1 in six overs, with a lead of 62 runs. After the side bowled Australia out on 191, the morale was high, taking a 53-run lead in the first innings. However for the Australian bowlers to wrap up the innings on a meagre total of 36, it took only 92 deliveries—15.2 overs, to be precise.
Mohammed Shami was hit off Pat Cummins by a short-pitched delivery and failed to continue his innings as India ended on 36/9, with Shami being declared retired. This has aggravated India’s already deepened crisis, as for the remainder of the series the side will be without Virat Kohli. The captain of India will return to the country to take part in the birth of his first child.
India was reduced to 26 for 8 at one point and looked like the lowest ever test score (26 by New Zealand), but the boundary of Hanuma Vihari helped them evade entry into the dark pages of cricketing history.
The additional bounce generated by Australian pacers, who bowled every delivery on the off-middle channel after landing on the seam, completely exposed the Indian batting on the day.
The much-vaunted batsmen of India fell like nine pins in an inexplicable collapse, with not a single one able to reach double figures. This was Australian soil’s lowest test score ever, as well as the worst team total in a day/night test.
All the deliveries were almost the same, angled in, forcing the batsmen to jab at them and bouncing just a little bit more. They deviated from a shade that took Tim Paine behind the stumps to the outside edges.
With Joe Burns’ confident innings in the 90-run chase, Australia was further boosted, as he remained unbeaten on 51*, while Matthew Wade, too, played a valuable 33-run knock to guide Australia to an Adelaide 8-wicket victory.
With this win, in the Day/Night Tests, Australia will keep their winning streak intact, making it 8 wins in as many matches. In the four-match series, the sides have now taken a 1-0 lead. The action will return on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, when both sides will take part in the Boxing Day Test.
