Dharamsala, India: India thrashed Australia by eight wickets on Tuesday to seal a Test series marked by outbursts and controversies 2-1 and underline their status as the world's number one side. Chasing 106 on the penultimate day of the fourth Test, opener Lokesh Rahul hit 51 not out in Dharamsala as India seized back the Border-Gavaskar trophy from Australia.
India's stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane (38 not out) hit two sixes in a row off Pat Cummins en route to the comprehensive win, as fans waved giant India flags and danced in the stands. India have now won seven Test series win in a row, a run that kicked off with their triumph in Sri Lanka in 2015, and includes victories over New Zealand, England and Bangladesh in an extended home season.
Skipper Virat Kohli, who was forced to sit out the final Test with a shoulder injury, said the hard-fought win over Australia was the most satisfying of the recent run. "Unbelievable. This is the best series win so far," said Kohli, who received the Test mace on behalf of India for ending the season as the world's top side. "The way the Australian team gave us a fight was really amazing, but the way the guys kept bouncing back showed the true character of the side."
Australia captain Steve Smith apologised for letting emotion get the better of him. On Monday, footage indicated he called Murali Vijay a "cheat" for wrongly claiming a catch on Monday. "I have been pretty intense throughout this series. I really wanted to do well for the team. At times I have been in my own bubble and have let my emotions slip. I apologise for that," said Smith.
It was one of several incidents during the bad-tempered series, including Kohli accusing Smith of systematically abusing the decision review system during the second Bangalore Test. In the maiden Test played in Dharamsala, India scored 332 in their first innings in reply to Australia's 300, before the tourists collapsed for just 137 on the third day.
On day four, India lost Vijay to fast bowler Cummins and Cheteshwar Pujara to a run out, but they were the only scares for the hosts who reached their target in less than 24 overs. India owed their win to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who top-scored with 63 runs in the first innings before taking three wickets with his left-arm spin during Australia's second knock -- and was duly named man of the match and man of the series.
"The way the guys handled situations and the way Ajinkya led was outstanding. But the maturity and the responsibility shown by all the guys in the team was pleasing to see, especially from the outside," said Kohli. The contest will also be remembered for the form of Aussie skipper Smith, who amassed 499 runs with three centuries, becoming only the sixth visiting batsman to hit as many tons.
Kohli, who was disparagingly compared to US President Donald Trump as he came under fire from Australian media, had a series to forget, scoring only 46 in the first three Tests.
I don't see any reason why we can't win abroad: Kumble
Dharamsala, Mar 28 (PTI) India cricket team's chief coach Anil Kumble today said the riveting series win over Australia has proved that the current side is good enough to extend its home dominance to foreign shores as well.
India today chased down a victory target of 106 with consummate ease on the fourth day to beat Australia by eight wickets in the fourth and final Test and reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy. "It's fantastic. We spoke about it that we will take one series at a time, one match at a time, one session at a time. To come back from 1-0 down, when you could see there were tired bodies around, it was brilliant," Kumble said.
"After Virat's injury the team stood up. (Ajinkya) Rahane led the team brilliantly after losing the toss. Then chasing 300 was a brilliant effort and yesterday the bowlers were brilliant. "The fast bowlers throughout the season have bowled brilliantly. They bowled quick and the mind games done on the pitch that changed the way we approached the game," he said. "With this kind of line-up, with the lower-order contributions, I don't see any reason why we can't start winning abroad," he added. Asked about the positives his side can take from the hectic Test season, Kumble said: "The positives have been adapting to conditions. We have had almost 25 players starting from West Indies. All 25 have stood up in different conditions.
"Even the new home venues, we didn't know how those pitches would behave. Everybody has put his hands up. The one area we need to improve is catching, that is something we have to look into." Praising all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, Kumble said: "Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) was brilliant through the season. (Ravichandran) Ashwin of course we know what he is capable of but Jaddu has always been in the shadows. But he has now come out of it and to be the No. 1 spinner is brilliant." PTI
Aussie cricketers are no longer friends, says Virat Kohli
Indian captain Virat Kohli today said he no longer considers Australian cricketers his friends after being targetted both on and off the field by them in a fiercely-fought Test series that his team won.
Kohli had stopped short of calling Steve Smith a cheat for his 'DRS Brain Fade' moment after which a section of Australian cricketers (current and former) along with their media targetted the Indian captain, going as far as to compare him with controversial US president Donald Trump. Worst, the Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, in a sarcastic remark to a radio station, said Kohli perhaps does not know the spelling of sorry.
At the end of the rubber, which India won 2-1, an Australian scribe asked if Kohli still considered Smith's men his friends off the field as he had said at the start of the series, the skipper gave a no holds barred answer. "No, it has changed for sure. I thought that was the case but it has changed for sure. As I said in the heat of the battle, you want to be competitive but yeah I have been proven wrong. "The thing I said before the first Test, I have certainly been proven wrong and you won't hear me say that ever again," Kohli said.
During the series, the Australian cricketers were seen making fun of Kohli's shoulder injury while Smith had used cuss words against Murali Vijay for claiming a catch yesterday.
Worse, Matthew Wade and Ravindra Jadeja had a near bust up after a lengthy altercation. PTI