December 8, 2024: Australia produced a clinical performance on the third day of the second Test at Adelaide Oval, flattening India by 10 wickets to level the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at 1-1. The victory not only bounced Australia back from their crushing 295-run loss in Perth but also extended their unbeaten streak in pink-ball Tests at Adelaide Oval to eight wins from eight matches, reinforcing their dominance in day-night cricket.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India found themselves in early trouble against the swing and seam of the pink ball, with Mitchell Starc once again proving to be the master of this format. Yashasvi Jaiswal, fresh off a brilliant 161 in Perth, was undone by Starc for a golden duck, caught leg-before wicket.
KL Rahul (37 from 64 balls) and Shubman Gill (31 from 51 balls) managed to counter the new ball and shared a 69-run second-wicket partnership, but the collapse came swiftly once Rahul was dismissed. Virat Kohli (7), Gill (31), Rohit Sharma (3), and Rishabh Pant (21 from 35 balls) all fell cheaply, reducing India to a precarious 109/6.
Despite some late resistance from Ravichandran Ashwin (22) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (42), India were bowled out for just 180 runs in 44.1 overs. Mitchell Starc was the chief destroyer, taking 6/48, while Pat Cummins and Scott Boland added two wickets each to seal the Indian collapse.
Australia’s reply saw an early setback with Usman Khawaja dismissed cheaply. However, a resilient 67-run stand between Nathan McSweeney (39 from 109 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (64 from 126 balls) steadied the ship. Although Steve Smith fell for just 2, Travis Head continued his rich vein of form against India, playing a spectacular knock of 140 from 141 balls, including 17 fours and 4 sixes. Head’s counter-attacking style was a major highlight, with him taking on everything India threw at him.
Head was well-supported by Alex Carey (15), and their 74-run sixth-wicket partnership took Australia beyond 300 runs. Ultimately, Australia was bowled out for 337 in 87.3 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah (4/61) and Mohammed Siraj (4/98) taking four wickets each for India. Despite the resistance from Head, the Australians established a solid 157-run lead.
Chasing a sizeable lead, India’s top order continued to struggle. The pace trio of Cummins, Starc, and Boland kept the Indian batsmen on the back foot, not allowing any rhythm. Jaiswal (24), Gill (28), Rahul (7), and Kohli (11) all failed to convert solid starts into bigger scores. By the end of day two, India had stumbled to 128/5, still trailing by 29 runs.
On the third day, Pant fell for 28, and the rest of the Indian batting crumbled under pressure. The Indian side was eventually dismissed for 175 runs in 36.5 overs, handing Australia a chase of just 19 runs to win.
Pat Cummins (5/67) led the charge with a brilliant five-wicket haul, his eighth as a captain, with Scott Boland (3/51) and Mitchell Starc (2/60) providing crucial support in cleaning up the tail. The Aussies wrapped up India’s second innings in just over 36 overs, leaving them a mere 19 runs to win.
In response, Usman Khawaja (10*) and Nathan McSweeney (9*) calmly chased down the target in just 3.2 overs, securing the 10-wicket victory for Australia without any issues.
Mitchell Starc was awarded Player of the Match for his match-winning performance with the ball, claiming 6/48 in India’s first innings and proving once again why he is the undisputed king of pink-ball Tests.
Australia’s dominant performance in Adelaide, led by a stunning century from Travis Head and masterful bowling from their pacers, showed their resilience and ability to bounce back after their defeat in Perth. The win not only leveled the series but also kept their unbeaten run in pink-ball Tests at Adelaide Oval intact. The series is now poised at 1-1, with everything to play for in the remaining matches.
