'Extraordinary': Australia roll India in historic Test boilover
Australia stunned themselves with the ease in which they sealed an eight-wicket win at Adelaide Oval, where Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood's spellbinding spells skittled a shellshocked India for their lowest Test total in history.
Tim Paine's team secured a 1-0 series lead before the dinner break on day three of the pink-ball Test, hauling in a target of 90.
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The tourists were out for 36 in their second innings after Mohammed Shami retired hurt, having been struck on his exposed right arm by a brute of a ball from Cummins.
New-look opening pair Joe Burns (51 not out) and Matthew Wade (33) shared a 70-run stand as Australia needed just 21 overs to complete an incredible victory.
Shami was rushed off for scans as captain Virat Kohli prepared to fly out for the birth of his first child.
The visitors resumed at 1-9 on Saturday, leading by 62 runs.
Cummins (4-21) and Hazlewood (5-8) created unmitigated chaos in the ensuing 90 minutes, during which no batsman reached double figures.
"A bit stunned," Hazlewood said.
"I've been in their shoes before in different series.
"Getting bowled out for 36 is going to leave a few headaches.
"Their best batter leaving is going to leave a bit of a hole.
"But they've got plenty of class batters on the sidelines."
Kohli struggled to describe his embarrassment, noting "this is not club-level cricket".
"Literally an hour, you put yourself in a position where it's impossible to win," he said.
"It really hurts."
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Nathan Lyon would be forgiven for having flashbacks to the unforgettable Test collapses he was part of in Cape Town (2011) and Trent Bridge (2015), where Australia were all out for 47 and 60 respectively.
The shoe was on the other foot for the offspinner in Adelaide, where he never looked like sneaking an over in as Cummins and Hazlewood celebrated career-defining moments and big milestones.
"It shows the talent we've got with the ball," Paine said.
"It can be an absolute nightmare."
India skittled out by Australia today for 36! I remember England being bowled out for 52 also by Australia in 1948. Extraordinary days in Test cricket!
— Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) December 19, 2020
With the way India batted & bowled in the 1st innings, they were in the driver's seat, but the Aussies came back really hard this morning.
That is the beauty of Test cricket.
It’s NEVER over till it’s over. India was outclassed in the 2nd half. Congratulations to Australia!— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 19, 2020
Mayank Agarwal's nine and Hanuma Vihari's eight helped India surpass the 26 that New Zealand mustered in 1955, which remains the lowest score in 150 years of Test cricket.
But Kohli suffered the ignominy of leading the XI that set the bar below the 42 scored at Lord's in 1974, which had been India's lowest score from almost 550 Tests.
Cummins ignited a scarcely-believable collapse of 5-4 when nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah chipped a catch back to him.
The express paceman had Cheteshwar Pujara out edging, for a duck, while Kohli became his 150th wicket in Test cricket.
Hazlewood was on a hat-trick after removing Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin, and made Vihari his 200th Test scalp.
"Things can happen quickly in the pink-ball game," Hazlewood said.
"We thrive on those situations when we're a little bit behind and it's up to us to change the momentum."
Wade fell victim to a tidy piece of keeping from Saha, while Marnus Labuschagne gifted Ravichandran Ashwin a wicket, but India's body language throughout the final innings was that of a vanquished side.
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