India ended their decade-long wait for a Test victory in Australia on Monday when they bowled out the home side for 291 to clinch the first game of the four-match series by a nail-biting 31 runs in Adelaide.
The hosts were set a target of 323, a score never before successfully achieved in a fourth innings run chase at the Adelaide Oval.
Ravichandran Ashwin got the final wicket of Josh Hazlewood to finish with 3-92, while wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant equalled the world record of most catches taken in a Test at 11. For Australia, Shaun Marsh made 62 and Tim Paine 41.
Things went too close for comfort for India as Nathan Lyon (38 not out) and Josh Hazlewood (13) put on 42 runs for the last wicket and frustrated the Indian bowling. The sparse crowd at Adelaide Oval cheered every single as the duo edged closer and the odd boundary didn’t help matters.
Finally, things came to a close as Ashwin had Hazlewood caught at second slip in the 120th over to register India’s sixth Test win on Australian soil.
“It’s important to stay calm. The odds were stacked up against them as soon as we got Pat Cummins out. I wouldn’t say I was cool as ice but you try not to show it,” Kohli said at the end of the match.
Almost 15 years to the date, India recorded another famous win in Adelaide and this win brought back memories of that day.
The last Test India won in Australia was at the WACA Ground in Perth in 2008, and the last one in Adelaide was in 2003.
Here are the key statistical highlights from Kohli and Co’s triumph.
- This is the first time India have won the won the opening Test match of a series in Australia.
- Kohli became the first Asian captain to win Tests in England, Australia and South Africa.
- India became the first Asian team to win Tests in England, Australia and South Africa in a calendar year.
- After all these years, this was still only India’s sixth Test win in Australia.
India's Test wins in Australia
Venue / Year | Result |
---|---|
December, 1977 (Melbourne) | India won by 222 runs |
January, 1978 (Sydney) | India won by an innings and 2 runs |
February, 1981 (Melbourne) | India won by 59 runs |
December, 2003 (Adelaide) | India won by four wickets |
January, 2008 (Perth) | India won by 72 runs |
December, 2018 (Adelaide) | India won by 31 runs |
Last three instances of Australia losing first Test of a home season:
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) December 10, 2018
2018/19 vs Ind, Adelaide
2016/17 vs SA, Perth
1988/99 vs WI, Brisbane#AUSvIND
India is the second Asian side to win the first Test of a series in Australia after Pakistan at the MCG in 1978/79 (series 1-1).#AUSvIND
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) December 10, 2018
- The Adelaide Test saw India record their closest-ever win away from home in terms of the margin of runs.
India's closest overseas wins (by runs margin)
Date | Opponent | Venue | Margin |
---|---|---|---|
6 Dec 2018 | v Australia | Adelaide | 31 runs |
19 Apr 2002 | v West Indies | Port of Spain | 37 runs |
30 Jun 2006 | v West Indies | Kingston | 49 runs |
7 Feb 1981 | v Australia | Melbourne | 59 runs |
20 Jun 2011 | v West Indies | Kingston | 63 runs |
24 Jan 2018 | v South Africa | Johannesburg | 63 runs |
16 Jan 2008 | v Australia | Perth | 72 runs |
26 Dec 2010 | v South Africa | Durban | 87 runs |
17 Jul 2014 | v England | Lord's | 95 runs |
17 Jan 2010 | v Bangladesh | Chittagong | 113 runs |
- While this was India’s first time winning the opening match of the Test series in Australia, their recent record anywhere in the world in that regard has been poor as shown in the table below.
India's first Test in a series away from Asia
Series | Venue | Result |
---|---|---|
2007-2008 Australia v. India | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Australia won by 337 runs |
2008-2009 New Zealand v. India | Seddon Park | India won by 10 wickets |
2010-2011 South Africa v. India | SuperSport Park | SA won by an inngs and 25 runs |
2010-2011 West Indies v. India | Sabina Park | India won by 63 runs |
2011 England v. India | Lord's | England won by 196 runs |
2011-2012 Australia v. India | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Australia won by 122 runs |
2013-2014 South Africa v. India | New Wanderers Stadium | Match Drawn |
2013-2014 New Zealand v. India | Eden Park | New Zealand won by 40 runs |
2014 England v. India | Trent Bridge | Match Drawn |
2014-2015 Australia v. India | Adelaide Oval | Australia won by 48 runs |
2016-2017 West Indies v. India | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium | India won by an innings and 92 runs |
2017-2018 South Africa v. India | Newlands | South Africa won by 72 runs |
2018 England v. India | Edgbaston | England won by 31 runs |
2018 Australia v India | Adelaide | India won by 31 runs |
- There were some quirky stats too.
Australia's partnerships today: 31, 41, 31, 41, 31, 32. Lose by 31. #AusvInd
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) December 10, 2018
First time in India's history that they have won an away Test after losing first 4 wickets for less than 50 runs.
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) December 10, 2018
They started batting with 41-4 and ended with 4 wickets for 4 runs. Tells how important were Pujara's 123 and 71 between collapses. A genuine match-winning effort.
India lost the first Test in England by 31 runs & went on to lose the series 1-4. ......tells the importance of starting right.
— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) December 10, 2018
Now that they have won the first Test v Aus (also by 31 runs!), they should not squander this opportunity.#AUSvIND #AUSvsIND
Rishabh Pant’s record and second innings Shami
- Pant became the first India wicket-keeper to finish with more than 10 catches in a Test match. His 11 catches is a joint world record. This was also the most number of catches taken by a visiting ‘keeper in Australia.
Most catches in a Test:
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) December 10, 2018
11 Jack Russell v SA, J'burg, 1995
11 AB de Villiers v Pak, J'burg, 2013
11* Rishabh Pant v Aus, Adelaide, 2018
Most for India:
11* Pant
10 Saha v SA, Cape Town, 2018
9 Dhoni v Aus, MCG, 2014#AusvInd
- Not just Pant, this Test created an overall world record for the number of catches as well.
Most catches taken in a Test:
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) December 10, 2018
35 - Australia v India, Adelaide, 2018*
34 - South Africa v Australia, Cape Town, 2018
33 - Australia v India, Perth, 1992#AUSvIND
- Mohammed Shami once again picked up crucial wickets in the second innings to reiterate the fact that he finishes Test matches better than he starts them.
Second innings Shami
Innings | Wickets | Average / SR | |
---|---|---|---|
Team's 1st innings | 37 | 71 | 33.73 / 58 |
Team's 2nd innings | 34 | 62 | 25.2 / 45.8 |
Match's 1st innings | 17 | 36 | 33.94 / 58.8 |
Match's 2nd innings | 20 | 35 | 33.51 / 57.2 |
Match's 3rd innings | 20 | 35 | 27.94 / 49.5 |
Match's 4th innings | 14 | 27 | 21.66 / 40.9 |
India are only the 3rd away team to win a Test in Australia without any bowler taking 4 wickets in an innings (after Eng, Adelaide 1954-55; and Eng, SCG 1970-71). Excellent collective performance. #AUSvIND
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) December 10, 2018
- The win came after a series of fighting partnerships from Australia’s middle and lower order, which set a new record as well.
RECORD ALERT: The ongoing #AUSvIND Test in Adelaide is the first 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. @7Cricket
— Arun Gopalakrishnan (@statanalyst) December 10, 2018
Every Australian second innings partnership was 16+...
— 7 Cricket (@7Cricket) December 10, 2018
But none reached 50 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/0dBqrkj8Wp
That was the slowest-scoring Test in Australia since November 2000. Gripping throughout. https://t.co/4VUtAKxX7R
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) December 10, 2018
- Another first for Pujara in this match.
Cheteshwar Pujara's MoM awards in Tests - 5
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) December 10, 2018
In Asia - 4
Outside Asia - 1 (v Australia, Adelaide, 2018)*#INDvAUS
Cheteshwar Pujara is the only batsman to score 50+ in all of India's three away wins in 2018:
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) December 10, 2018
50 off 179, 1st inngs, Joburg
72 off 208, 2nd inngs, Trent Bridge
123 (246) & 71 (204), Adelaide#AUSvIND
And finally, looking ahead, maybe Kohli should find a way to win more tosses.
Kohli’s record when he wins the toss:
Tests: 20
Won: 17
Draw: 3