India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a six-wicket win over Australia on the third day of the second Test.
The home team’s spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took all 10 Australian wickets in the second innings as the visitors struggled on a tricky New Delhi pitch.
Jadeja took a career-best seven for 42, and Ashwin took the remaining three wickets to dismiss Australia for 113 runs and set India an easy target of 115.
India’s chase saw some stutters as well, as they lost opener KL Rahul in the second over and were reduced to 88 for four.
Captain Rohit Sharma was run out after a fluent 31, and Virat Kohli, who surpassed 25,000 international runs, was stumped on 20.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Srikar Bharat took control of the chase and guided them home in the 27th over.
Pujara, playing his 100th Test, top-scored for India (31) and hit the winning runs as the hosts ensured the bilateral trophy remained in their grasp for the fourth consecutive series.
Earlier, Australia resumed their second innings on 61 for one and added 52 runs before Jadeja and Ashwin engineered a spectacular collapse.
Asked to open in place of a concussed David Warner, Travis Head drove the third ball of the day from Ashwin for a boundary to signal his attacking intent.
The off-spinner, however, had his revenge three balls later when he drew Head (43) forward to induce an edge that Srikar Bharat collected behind the stumps.
Once Jadeja sent back Marnus Labuschagne (35), the wheels came off Australia’s innings, with nine of the 11 batsmen posting single-digit scores.
Nathan Lyon was Australia’s highest wicket-taker in the match with seven, while Usman Khawaja’s 81 in the first innings was the highest score for the visiting team.
India have won their previous three series against Australia and are now close to securing a spot in the World Test Championship final.
The third Test starts in Indore on March 1.
Source: Al Jazeera
