There are so many elements to victory, and Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head ensured Australia marched to a 9-wicket victory over India on the 3rd day of the 3rd Test at Indore. Ravichandran Ashwin struck on the second ball of the day, dismissing Usman Khawaja to unnerve the Australian chase. But the lessons learned from the Delhi Test, where the visitors failed to apply themselves, were well ingrained in Indore.
Cautious start ensures victory
The visitors scored just 13 runs in the first 10 overs, as Raviindra Jadeja and R Ashwin maintained their tight lines to keep the Aussies at bay. It was just a matter of time until the vulnerabilities of a mediocre target would be exposed.
Travis Head led the Australian counterattack to put pressure back on the Indian as he kept finding regular boundaries to continue his rich vein of form. Head who had a brilliant Australian summer with the bat was well supported by Marnus Labuschagne. The duo negotiated the first 10 overs meticulously and then hit overdrive mode.
The win ensured Australia qualified for the World Test Championship in England. India, on the other hand, will have to win the next Test at Ahmedabad to secure qualification for the showpiece event.
First Innings disaster
Some would say India's fate was sealed the moment Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon ripped India to shreds in the first innings. The Australian duo spun India out of the contest, with the highest score being 22, which came off the bat of Virat Kohli.
With the batting scars still playing on their minds, the Indian spinners struggled to hit consistent lengths in the second half of the opening day. They did find their mojo back on the second day by picking the last six Australian wickets for 11 runs, but the damage was already done by then. Usman Khawaja led the Australian fight, stitching crucial partnerships with Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith as Australia took an 87 run lead in the first innings.
Lyon runs through Indian defense
There was a time when India negotiated spin to perfection, but losing seven wickets in a session has proven those days to be in the past. Pujara stood out for India in the second innings but it needed a miracle to stop Australia from chasing the scanty 76.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who was adjudged Player of the Match for his 8-64 in India's second innings, stated that belief in his variations was key in putting Australia on the path to victory.
"It's been a pretty remarkable series. But to come out here and put out a good team performance was pretty special. I don't have all the skills and all the tricks in the trade but the one thing I have is the belief in my stock ball."
"And I think if you have that, you can get success. I don't think I've mastered it. I've been lucky enough to challenge against some of the best players to play the game, the likes of Virat and Pujji and the rest of the guys. I just like challenging myself.
