Ashwin, Bumrah bowls India to famous win

Ashwin and Kohli celebrates after Aussies lost last wicket

India 250 (Pujara 123, Hazlewood 3-52) and 307 (Pujara 71, Rahane 70, Lyon 6-22, Starc 3-40) beat Australia 235 (Head 72, Bumrah 3-47, Ashwin 3-57) and 291 (Marsh 60, Shami 3-65, Bumrah 3-68, Ashwin 3-92) by 31 runs

Adelaide: In a historic day for Indian cricket, men in blue defeated Australia by 31 runs in their first Test at Adelaide, to go one up in the four-match series on Monday.

It all went down to the wire on the final day of the series opener. After the Aussies began day five needing 219 runs with 6 wickets in hand, a relentless middle order batted on to reduce that figure to 137 at Lunch. Nathan Lyon (38*) troubled the Indian bowlers even more, stitching a 32-run stand for the 10th wicket with Josh Hazlewood.

In fact, this is the only time in Test history that a team batting in the fourth innings has had a partnership of 15 runs or more for each of the ten wickets.

Australia, who were chasing a total of 322, were eventually bowled out for 31 runs as the Kohli and co. registered their first-ever victory in a opening match of a Test series Down Under.

Not only that, this was India’s first win in Aussie land in 10 years and, the first since 2003 at the Adelaide Oval. The visitors also become the first Asian team to win a Test in Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year.

Man of the match Cheteshwar Pujara was India’s highest scorer in both innings. The 30-year-old defied Australia’s bowling attack, and scored a century on the opening day of the Test while the rest of the batting line-up crumbled.

In the second innings, he smashed a 71 to give India a considerable lead over the hosts, and also became only the third Indian batsman to get a 50-plus score in both innings of Test in Australia.

Nathan Lyon was the highest wicket-taker of the match, while pacer Jasprit Bumrah and spinner R Ashwin picked up six wickets each.

India will next play Australia in the second Test at Perth, starting 14 December.