Off-spinner R Ashwin bagged his 31st five-wicket haul in Test cricket as Australia were bowled-out in just over two hours to hand India a dominant innings-and-132-run victory inside three days of the opening Test.
The hosts took a commanding first-innings lead of 223 in Nagpur, then skittled out Australia for 91 in an extended second session to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
Steve Smith was left to survey the ruins from the other end, unbeaten on 25, after Ashwin, who took five wickets in the innings and eight in the match, triggered a complete batting collapse inside a single session.
Ashwin rattled the opposition batting with his off-spin as he sent back Usman Khawaja (five), David Warner (10) and Matt Renshaw (two).
Ravindra Jadeja, who grabbed five in the first innings, took two wickets including Marnus Labuschagne – Australia’s first-innings top-scorer with 49 – trapped lbw for 17.
But Ashwin ruled the afternoon to run through the Australian batting, which fell flat on a pitch where India’s lower-order including Axar Patel (84) and Mohammed Shami (37) scored handsomely in the first session.
Shami bowled Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket to extend the session and finished the job when he trapped Scott Boland lbw.
Debutant spinner Todd Murphy was the tourists’ sole saving grace, adding two more wickets on Saturday morning to return figures of 7/124.
Jadeja was declared player of the match.
Here are some reactions to India’s win:
🖐️🇮🇳 #blessed #grateful pic.twitter.com/jWctbSMmLJ
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 11, 2023
Complete dominance by #TeamIndia to seal a phenomenal win. Skipper @ImRo45 led from the front and was backed well with @imjadeja & @ashwinravi99’s support. @akshar2026 was excellent too #INDvAUS
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) February 11, 2023
India dominated the Test from the start to finish.
— DK (@DineshKarthik) February 11, 2023
Terrific start to the #BorderGavaskarTrophy!#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/iGhQtfgQM4
Rohit Sharma the modern Don Bradman at home conditions 🔥🔥 #INDvAUS
— Monty Panesar (@MontyPanesar) February 11, 2023
1-0 🇮🇳👏 pic.twitter.com/ODvQDsNZeb
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 11, 2023
#TeamIndia won the 1st Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by an innings & 132runs💥Thanks to outstanding performances by @imjadeja @ashwinravi99 @akshar2026 & the ton by skipper @ImRo45 🔥Now looking forward to next three tests 🇮🇳 #INDvAUS #BorderGavaskarTrophy2023 @BCCI pic.twitter.com/lUFTc3TQb0
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8) February 11, 2023
Congratulations #TeamIndia 🇮🇳✊❤️🙌 https://t.co/q6pKAsUa12
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) February 11, 2023
What a performance by Team India.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 11, 2023
Australia seemed to have lost the natch before it began with too much emphasis on the pitch. India batted skillfully which is what Test cricket demands and scored 400 , Australia were playing a different wicket in their minds. Well done, Boys pic.twitter.com/yYySfXh8lb
Fine win. Hard to think of a better bowling line-up for these conditions. And this is with Bumrah injured and with umesh sitting out. India haven’t lost at the kotla since 1987. Will take a gabba level heist for aus to win there.
— Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) February 11, 2023
Australia had four left-handers in their top seven – Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Matt Renshaw and Alex Carey. R Ashwin dismissed all four of them and took a total of just 44 deliveries to do so. An absolute beast against left-handers.#INDvAUS #NagpurTest
— Aditya Chaturvedi (@aditya_c19) February 11, 2023
Slightly sad that we won't see Siraj celebrate another century as if it was his own.
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) February 11, 2023
That's how it's done. 🫳🎤
— PouLaMi (@Crictopher17) February 11, 2023
Well done India. #BGT2023
Could be wrong, but I can’t help thinking Aus have overthought things and got sucked into the pre-match pitch talk, much of that coming from Aus, ironically. That aside, their weaknesses against spin have been thoroughly exposed by Jadeja and Ashwin. #BGT #INDvAUS
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) February 11, 2023
Inputs from AFP