Get ready for some intense cricket action as the Border Gavaskar Trophy is well underway, and things are heating up! After three tests, India is leading the five-match series 2-1, but the last test saw a stunning comeback from Team Australia. They bounced back with an impressive victory over India in Third Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy, clinching the win by a whopping 9 wickets!
The first two tests were dominated by India, who won single-handedly by an innings and 132 runs and then by 6 wickets. However, Team Australia showed true grit and determination in the third test, proving that they are not ones to be underestimated. Let’s take a look at how Australia dominated India at their home-ground in the Third Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Border Gavaskar Trophy: Matthew Kuhnemann Shines at India Get Bowled Out
In only his second test match, Matthew Kuhnemann left the cricketing world in awe with his impressive performance with the ball. He was like a magician, weaving his spell and bamboozling the Indian batsmen with his crafty deliveries. Not a single batter from India could score more than 25 runs, and Kuhnemann was the main architect of this batting collapse, claiming 5 wickets to his name.
Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, the highly-touted batsmen, were the top scorers with just 22 and 21 runs respectively, as the Indian team was bowled out for a paltry 109. Kuhnemann was ably assisted by Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy, who took 3 and 1 wicket respectively.
However, the wicket was a spin bowler’s paradise, and the pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Green went wicketless and were quite expensive.
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Khawaja Gets Australia To a 88 Run Lead
The Australian Team suffered an early blow as they lost their opener, Head, for just 12 runs. However, the duo of Labuschagne and Khawaja steadied the ship with a brilliant 96-run partnership in Third Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy. Unfortunately for Australia, Jadeja got the better of Labuschagne, who was bowled on 31. Khawaja continued his fine form and added a well-deserved 60 to the scoreboard before heading back to the pavilion. The middle-order batsmen, Smith, Handscomb, and Green, also contributed some handy runs with scores of 26, 19, and 21 respectively. But as the Australian innings progressed, the wickets began to tumble at an alarming rate. Green’s dismissal at 6-188 triggered a collapse, and the team was bundled out for 197. The spin twins, Jadeja and Ashwin, shared 7 wickets between them, while Umesh Yadav’s tight bowling yielded 3 wickets.
India Fail To Give a Challenging Target
India’s hopes of a strong start in the Third Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy were dashed as both their openers were dismissed early, leaving them in a precarious position at 2-32. Even the former captain, Virat Kohli, couldn’t stick around for long, scoring only 13 runs before being dismissed. Ravindra Jadeja followed suit, falling to the skillful bowling of Lyon after contributing a meager 7 runs. Sheryas Iyer tried to steady the ship but couldn’t make a significant contribution, eventually departing for 26. Despite the struggles, Ashwin and Axar Patel chipped in with 16 and 15 runs respectively. However, it was Pujara who stood tall, scoring a much-needed 59 to give India a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, the rest of the Indian batting line-up crumbled around him, with India eventually being bundled out for just 163 runs, setting a paltry target of 76 for the Australians. Nathan Lyon was the hero of the hour, bamboozling the Indian batsmen and taking a staggering 8 wickets. Starc and Khunemann contributed with one wicket each to help wrap up the Indian innings.
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Australia Chase Down 76
The Australian fans were on edge as their team stepped up to chase the target of 76 runs set by India in the Third Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy, especially against the formidable spin-duo of Jadeja and Ashwin. As the innings began, Ashwin struck early by dismissing Khawaja on just the second ball of the first over, sending shivers down the spines of Australian fans. However, Travis Head and Labuschange took charge of the situation and navigated Australia towards a relatively easy victory. Head’s unbeaten 49 off just 53 deliveries was a treat to watch as he played some stunning reverse sweeps and kept the Indian bowlers on their toes. With Labuschange on 28 not out, Australia comfortably won the match and breathed a sigh of relief.
Pitch Contoversy
The pitch in Third Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy became a topic of heated discussion not just among cricket enthusiasts but also on social media platforms worldwide. Fans were quick to express their disappointment and frustration with the highly spin-biased pitch. The International Cricket Council’s match referee, Chris Broad, submitted his report after discussing the matter with both team captains, Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith. The report revealed that 14 wickets fell on the first day, all of which went to spinners, and out of 31 wickets, 26 were taken by spinners, with only one run-out and four for pacers. Consequently, the Holker Cricket Stadium in Third Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy received a “poor” rating and three demerit points. Chris Broad, commenting on the pitch, remarked, “The dry pitch heavily favored spinners from the start, and it didn’t provide a fair balance between bat and ball. According to the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, a venue will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months if it accumulates five or more demerit points over a five-year rolling period.
Man Of The Match
The Man of the Match was awarded to Nathan Lyon for his 11 wickets in the two innings.
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