Virat Kohli-led Indian team celebrates after earning a hard-fought 31-run win over Australia in the first Test. The host's lower order showed tremendous resilience but Indians managed to have the last laugh on an engaging final day's play at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.
Australia captain Tim Paine showed a lot of grit and determination to reduce the deficit and keep the host afloat in the first session. But he undid all that in the first ball after lunch, skying a catch to Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant to walk back dejectedly.
Indians cricketers are mighty relieved after picking the wicket of Tim Paine in the first over after lunch. The Australian skipper tormented the Indians with his 41-run knock and a sedate 41-run partnership with Shaun Marsh who threatened to turn the tables. But India managed to snap the wicket when it mattered.
Bowling partners Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins showed their batting prowess as they snitched a 41-run partnership for the eighth wicket. The two clearly enjoyed giving the Indian team moments of uncertainty with their display of batsmenship.
Mohammad Shami celebrates the dismissal of Australia's Mitchell Starc. The Australian pacer, donning the role of a lower-order batsman with aplomb, did everyting in his capacity to frustrate the Indian bowlers, but opting for the second new ball did the trick for India as Starc edged Shami to the keeper to end his 28-run essay.
The end: Even as Australia was getting dangerously close to the target, Indian skipper Virat Kohli kept persisting with Ravichandran Ashwin despite the off-spinner not being able to pick a single wicket on Monday. Kohli's faith was rewarded as Ashwin snapped the last batsman, Josh Hazlewood to help India take a 1-0 lead in the Test series.
Nathan Lyon proved to be an untameable tailender, scoring a brisk 47-ball 38 before Ashwin brought curtains down on the match with the wicket of his last-standing partner Josh Hazlewood. All his efforts — including a six-wicket haul in the second innings — to give Australia an improbable win went down the drain. He was left stranded alone as ecstatic Indians celebrated a famous victory.
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