Kohli blames batmen’s mindset after India (36 all out) lose first Test
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Josh Hazlewood took five for eight as Australia romped to an emphatic victory by eight wickets in the first Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday after skittling India for 36, their lowest innings score in 88 years of Test cricket.
Hazlewood and Pat Cummins (4-21) turned a tight Test on its head in a devastating spell of pace bowling to open the third day of the day-night Test, ripping through the much vaunted Indian batting line-up in less than two hours.
Australia chased down the victory target of 90 runs for the loss of Matthew Wade (33) and Marnus Labuschagne (6) to take a 1-0 lead in the series with Tests to come in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Opener Joe Burns gave his confidence a much-needed boost with an unbeaten 51, including a six to secure the victory, while Steve Smith added a single to help get the hosts across the line before the second break of the day.
The margin of victory will be a hefty blow to India’s morale as well as their hopes of repeating their maiden Test series triumph in Australia two years ago.
None of India’s batsmen, including the prolific Virat Kohli, managed to get into double figures in the second innings – only the second time that has happened to any team in a Test match.
Kohli was dejected after the tame surrender of his team in Adelaide.
“Very hard to put those feelings to words. We had a lead of 60-odd coming and just collapsed. When you work hard for two days and put yourself in a strong position and then an hour puts you in a position where it’s literally impossible to win,” the Indian captain said at the post-match presentation.
Kohli said it was a combination of consistent bowling from Australia and batsmen’s lack of positive intent that led to his team’s stunning collapse.
“I think we should have showed a little more intent today, to be 100 for a wicket down might have been nice. They bowled similar kind of areas in the first inning as well but probably our mindset was to score runs (in the first innings). To be honest there were some good balls but the ball didn’t do anything drastic. I think it was the mindset, it was very evident,” Kohli said.
“It felt like the runs were so difficult to come by and the bowlers got confident. I think it was a combination of lack of intent and the bowlers hitting their areas. But I’m pretty confident that the boys going forward will reflect on this and come back stronger on Boxing Day. “
Their innings score was the lowest in 544 Tests going back to 1932 – worse than their previous low of 42 against England at Lords in 1974 – and only two countries have managed fewer runs in the long history of the format.
The tourists will already be without Kohli for the rest of the series as the skipper returns home for the birth of his first child but they will also now be sweating on the fitness of Mohammed Shami.
The paceman took a blow to the forearm from a short Cummins delivery and was unable to bat on, bringing an end to India’s dismal innings when he retired hurt.
“No news on Shami, he’s going for a scan now. Could hardly lift his arm. We’ll get the scans now and will know more in the evening,” Kohli said.
The tourists had resumed on 9-1 looking to build on the first innings lead of 62 they held overnight after two well-balanced days of the pink ball contest.
Hazlewood and Cummins ripped up that script in short order with some quite brilliant bowling – in one spell they took four wickets for no runs over 29 balls.