India vs Australia: Kohli and co sets new record low in test history at Adelaide Oval, lose first test by 8 wickets

The scoreboard at the Adelaide Oval says it all. Image: Twitter

Xtra Time Web Desk: India team brought back the memories of Lords test in 1974, as they were bundled out for their lowest test score (36/9) ever at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood both hit Test wicket milestones in an incredible first session of Day 3 that saw India dismissed for just 36, their lowest ever Test score even worse than the 42 all out against England at Lords.

Chasing a target of 90 runs to win, Australian opener Mathew Wade (33) and Joe Burns (51*) started in style putting on 70 runs before Wade was run out by a clever presence of mind from Saha. Labuschagne did not last long, getting caught by Mayank off Ashwin for 6. Steve Smith (1*) and Burns remained not out to take Australia home. The win gives the hosts a 1-0 lead in the four match series with the next test starting in Melbourne on December 26.

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were the chief destroyers, picking up 5-8 and 4-21 respectively as India went from 1-9 overnight to 36 all out in just 15.2 overs.

Having cleaned up Prithvi Shaw on Friday night, Cummins continued the carnage on Saturday afternoon in his first over by removing night-watchman Jasprit Bumrah caught and bowled. Four overs later India had not added a single run when Cummins bowled a brilliant delivery that straightened down the line of off stump to get the edge of Cheteshwar Pujara for an eight-ball duck. The No 1 test bowler than got rid of Virat Kohli, inducing an edge from the Indian captain to gully fielder Cameron Green who just managed to latch on to the catch. Kohli was Cummins’ 150th Test wicket in just is 31st Test.

If Indian batsmen expected some respite, that was not to be as Josh Hazzlewood produced an outstanding spell of fast bowling as he picked 5 for 8 in 5 overs to completely demolish the star studded Indian batting. Hazzlewood struck with his first ball, finding the edge of opener Mayank Agarwal through to Tim Paine, who took another catch just four balls later when Ajinkya Rahane nicked off to the right-armer. Hazlewood took his fourth wicket when wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha spooned a catch to Marnus Labuschagne at mid-wicket, and next ball had Ravichandran Ashwin caught behind for his 200th Test wicket in his 52nd Test match.

He completed his five-wicket haul in his next over as Hanuma Vihari edged through to Paine for the Australian gloveman’s fifth catch. Hazlewood’s five wickets came in 25 balls for the cost of just three runs.

Hunting a bag of wickets of his own, Cummins collected Mohammed Shami on the forearm with a vicious bounced that forced the tailender to retire hurt.