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India vs Australia: From an early fumble to the maiden series win Down Under

It all started with a top-order meltdown in Adelaide, salvaged by a Pujara century, but ended with India bagging its maiden series in Australia. Here, we take you through some of the key moments from across the four matches.

Published : Jan 07, 2019 09:45 IST

One for the album: Indian players celebrate with the Border Gavaskar Trophy after beating Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series.

Opening salvo: It was England 2014 all over again as India captain Virat Kohli gave in to the temptation of pushing at a full delivery angling away from his body. The ball flew off the edge and along the way, found Usman Khawaja who put out a full stretch dive to pluck a screamer.

Breach me if you can: India was wobbling at 41/4 when Cheteshwar Pujara decided to drop anchor in Adelaide and play an innings which would go on to set the tone for the remainder of the series. A magnificent 123, studded with seven hits to the fence and two sixes, stood out in a first-innings scorecard which saw 10 Indian batsmen failing to cross the 50-run mark.

G.O.A.T comes to the party: Nathan Lyon's six-for in the second innings in Adelaide was the 13th time the off-spinner had taken five or more wickets in one innings of a Test match. Although India went on to win the first Test, Lyon's contribution with the ball did not go unnoticed.

Hunting with the pack: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and R. Ashwin snapped up three wickets each as India beat Australia by 31 runs to go 1-0 up in the four-Test series.

The dynamic southpaw: Australia skipper Tim Paine won the toss, elected to bat and found vindication through his openers Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch, who added 112 runs. Harris struck a fine half-century at the top.

Did someone say Perth: Ishant Sharma, who made his Test debut in Perth — albeit at the WACA — in 2008, returned to haunt Australia in the first innings with a four-wicket haul as the host side folded for 326.

Miss me? He may have had a lean run in Adelaide but Virat Kohli's willow breathed fire at the Optus Stadium. He excelled through his 123 in the first innings — a revelatory knock coated in patience and lit up at times through luminous shots.

Flying high: Mitchell Starc may have had a quiet series by his standards but he was on fire in the second innings in Perth. The spearhead of Australia's pace battery combined with Nathan Lyon to scythe through India's line-up as the host delivered its seal of dominance on the second Test to draw level in the four-Test series.

The Pujara show, again: Cheteshwar Pujara completed an assiduously compiled 17th Test hundred, and in the company of skipper Virat Kohli, blunted the Australian attack as India amassed an impressive 443 in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test.

Relentless hunter: Bumrah's slow yorker from round the stumps that drifted into Shaun Marsh to trap the batsman in front was the highlight of a six-wicket haul which saw the seamer gun down Australia for a modest 151 in the first innings at the MCG.

A 'Pat' on the back: Indian batsmen may have flayed its seamers in Melbourne but Australia found solace in Pat Cummins, whose six for 27 — his career-best bowling figures — reduced the visitor to 106/8 in the second innings.

Heroic rearguard: A career-best batting performance from Pat Cummins saw the seamer score a 114-ball 63 in the second innings in which none of his other team-mates managed to go past 50. His dismissal off Bumrah was the final nail in the coffin as Australia slipped to a massive 137-run defeat and with it, conceded the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Make hay while the sun shines: Cheteshwar Pujara notched up his third hundred of the series while wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant blasted his second Test ton as India plundered 622/7 in the first innings at the SCG.

The Kangaroo hunter: Kuldeep Yadav, who impressed on his Test debut against Australia in Dharamsala, returned to run the rings around the opposition batsmen; this time in their own backyard. The wily left-arm wrist spinner collected his first five-wicket innings Test haul as Australia was restricted to 300 in response to India's gargantuan first-innings total.

Rain, rain go away: Rain played a spoilsport in the fourth and final Test which was eventually called off.

All smiles: India beat Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series, a feat which took them over seven decades to achieve, 72 years to be precise!

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One for the album: Indian players celebrate with the Border Gavaskar Trophy after beating Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series.
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