- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
A rained-out fifth day at the SCG has seen India officially win a Test series in Australia for the first time after turning the final match into a non-result.
Virat Kohli’s decision to enforce a follow-on on Sunday left the Australians with the tasking of holding on to their ten wickets on the final day, but a persistent light drizzle prevented the two nations from ever taking to field.
When the Test began on Thursday, India won the toss and opted to bat first – a decision which would ultimately lead to them taking a strong advantage early in the match.
Although opener KL Rahul fell for nine, his replacement at the crease – Cheteshwar Pujara – came in for what would prove the most prolific knock of the series.
Pujara went on to face 373 balls and scored 193 runs, falling just short of a double century when he was caught and bowled by Nathan Lyon.
The Australians were luckily able to remove Virat Kohli without too much trouble (23), but any hope of an already unlikely victory was lost when Rishabh Pant arrived at the crease and delivered a remarkable 159 off 189 balls.
India declared at 7/622 with Pant still holding his wicket and sent the Australians in, having batted out almost the entire first two days.
Things looked promising early for the Aussies as new opening pair Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja made a tortoise-like start, putting up a 72-run partnership before Khawaja fell.
Even then it looked like Harris might just hold out long enough to claim a maiden Test ton, but he was bowled by Ravindra Jadeja on 79.
This precipitated a mini-collapse which saw Shaun Marsh and Travis Head both lose their wickets in the next ten overs, Marsh for a single-figure score.
Rain and bad light on day four helped the Aussies delay the inevitable but they were eventually dismissed for a total of exactly 300, no batsman other than Harris having managed to move past the 30s.
Virat Kohli enforced the follow-on – the first time Australia have been made to follow-on on home soil in more than three decades – but poor light restricted Australia’s second innings to just four overs before stumps on the fourth day.
What could have been a dramatic fifth day proved instead to be an anticlimax as rain blocked the Indians from even have the chance to attempt bowling the Australians out.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
