2nd Test: Spin twins Ashwin and Jadeja destroy Australia

India defeated Australia by 6 wickets in the second Test to take an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the four-match series.

Chasing a target of 115 in the fourth innings, India comfortably reached home, thanks to Cheteshwar Pujara’s unbeaten 31.

During the innings, Virat Kohli became the fastest batter to score 25,000 international runs.

Kohli has taken 549 innings across 492 matches to register the record. He surpassed another India legend Sachin Tendulkar, who had achieved it in 577 innings.

Australia started the day on 61 for the loss of one wicket but a brilliant bowling display from Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin put the hosts in a commanding position.

India was in a spot of worry when Australia raced to 86 for 2. However, they lost their last eight wickets for 28 runs, as India went on to win a Test that seemed lost on more than one occasion.

In the process, India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Jadeja registered a seven-wicket haul while Ravichandran Ashwin took three as the hosts bundled out Australia for 113 runs.

Among the seven wickets taken by Jadeja, five were bowled dismissals.

It was the first time in 20 years that a spinner achieved such a feat.

Incidentally, the last time a spinner took five bowled dismissals in an innings was compatriot Anil Kumble against South Africa in Joburg in 1992.

Ashwin struck for the hosts early in the session, dismissing a dangerous Head for 43 off 46 balls and reducing Australia to 65/2.

This wicket started the downslide.

Ashwin pitched the ball around good length area before it turned away from Head taking the outside edge of his bat. Wickekeeper KS Bharat collected a good catch behind the stumps.  

The duo of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne then took the innings forward, adding 20 more runs before Ashwin sent back Smith for just 9. Australia was 85/3 in 19 overs.

Following this, Jadeja-Ashwin ripped apart the rest of the Aussie batting attack, with the ball keeping low and shooting off the surface.

R Ashwin struck again when Matt Renshaw failed to execute the sweep to perfection and got LBW out. 

The Aussies were eventually bundled out for 113 runs in just 31.1 overs. Only Head and Labuschagne could reach double digits.

Jadeja got the lion’s share of Aussie wickets, finishing with his career-best figures in Test of 7/42 in 12.1 overs.

Ashwin scalped 3/59 in 16 overs.

Chasing 115, India lost KL Rahul for just 1, extending his lean patch in the red-ball format. Nathan Lyon had him caught behind by wicketkeeper Alex Carey. The Indian score read 6/1 in 1.1 overs.

A mix-up in the middle between Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara and the former has to depart. Rohit hit it on the leg side and called for a double.

Pujara cound’t notice Rohit reversing his call after a single and ran to the other end.

A selfless Rohit sacrificed his wicket for Pujara, who was playing his 100th Test match. 

Todd Murphy got better of Virat Kohli once again in the series.

The India batter jumped out of his crease but an arm ball from Murphy left him outside his crease. The ball missed Kohli’s willow, but Alex Carey didn’t miss the stumping chance. Kohli departs for 20.

Shreyas Iyer also fell, trying to force the scoring rate.

The right-handed batter tried to tonk Nathan Lyon for a six but handed a catch to Todd Murphy near the boundary line.

However, Pujara guided India to the target with no further alarms. In a way, this victory was the perfect 100th Test gift for the Baroda batting legend.

India 262 (Axar 74, Kohli 44, Lyon 5-67) and 118 for 4 beat Australia 263 (Khawaja 81, Handscomb 72*, Shami 4-60) and 113 (Head 43, Jadeja 7-42, Ashwin 3-59) by six wickets