Hoodoo gurus: Head shines as Aussies hold their nerve to end Indian drought with thumping win

Australia held their nerve in their tricky run-chase to win their first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and beat India for the first time in six Tests.

Makeshift opener Travis Head made short work of the 76-run target in the morning session on day three of the third Test to beat India for the first time since they routed them for 36 in Adelaide in December, 2020.

The nine-wicket win, which was their first Test victory in India since the series opener on the 2017 tour, capped a remarkable turnaround for the Aussies, who were thrashed inside three days in the first two matches in Nagpur and Delhi.

It as only their second win on Indian soil since they claimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2004.

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Australia have also now qualified for the World Test Championship final in June at The Oval where they will play India or Sri Lanka depending on results later this month.

Travis Head bats during day three at Holkare Cricket Stadium. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“They are pretty hard to come by (wins in India),” acting captain Steve Smith said. “For us to get on top in this game, particularly after losing the toss and fielding first as well, it shows the talent in this group and the belief we’ve got in ourselves. 

“We screwed up, I suppose, in Delhi is one way to put it. We had an opportunity there and let that slip, but we had a good break and a good preparation coming here and it was just about getting our mental states right.”

Their win was all the more special for Smith’s side given they went into the match without skipper Pat Cummins, who returned to Australia recently after his mother Maria was placed in palliative care.

After dismissing India for 109 and 163 on the first two days on a raging turner and posting 197 in their first innings, the Australians were heavy favourites at the start of day three but suffered a huge blow on the second ball of the day.

Veteran opener Usman Khawaja, who top-scored with a gritty 60 in Australia’s first innings, was caught behind for a duck after a vicious Ravichandran Ashwin off-break took his outside edge.

Marnus Labuschagne joined Head at the crease and was treated to some gamesmanship from Ashwin early in his innings when the Indian spinner threatened to bowl off two steps, forcing the Queenslander to pull away from his stance because he was unsure of what was going on.

Umpire Joel Wilson eventually stepped in to get Labuschagne to face up and once he did, Ashwin continued the mind games by then returning back to his full run-up.

But the tactics did not unsettle Labuschagne while Head played his trademark attacking game, lifting the spinners over the infield and piercing the gaps with an array of stylish shots.

Ashwin was rattled by the state of the ball. He complained several times to umpires about it, and continued to express his frustration even after it was changed at the 10-over mark.

“Travis Head has been a revelation here,” said former India coach Ravi Shastri on commentary, who blasted the Australian selectors for leaving the in-form left-hander out of the first Test because of past struggles on spinning pitches.

Head finished one run shy of a half-century off 53 balls – adding evidence that he plays his best in Asia batting at the top of the order following his promotion to open after David Warner’s exit from the tour. – while Labuschagne brought up the winning runs in the 19th over to be 28 not out.

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon took 8-64 on Thursday, bowling to perfection on sharply-turning pitch in Indore to bamboozle the masters of spin in their own conditions to set up Australia’s win after second-gamer Matt Kuhnemann bagged 5-16 in the first innings.

Lyon was named player of the match for his 11-99 overall figures.

Nathan Lyon. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

The tourists’ victory handed India only their third defeat at home in 45 Tests over the last 10 years, with Australia’s win in Pune in 2017 among them.

Australia’s hopes of winning the series are already gone, but it would be a monumental effort if they could finish their India tour level at 2-2.

The victory also confirmed Australia’s spot in the World Test Championship, to be played at The Oval in London in June.

Australia always looked likely to be in the WTC decider, but could have missed out had they been whitewashed 4-0 in India and other results went against them.

“That’s (WTC final) still a little while away, so we’ll play the next game in Ahmedabad, hopefully level the series there and worry about that after,” Smith said.

India remain their likely opponents, with captain Rohit Sharma saying before the third Test the hosts could prepare a green pitch for the fourth match in Ahmedabad if they won in Indore to get ready for the WTC final.

That green top appears a long-shot now, with India determined to bounce back next week and win the series 3-1.