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:
Inputs from AFP