The Indian cricket team finally ends their long waits to win a Test match on the Australian soil. After winning the Perth Test in January 2008, India remained winless in the Test on the Australian soil for almost 11 years. Finally, in the Adelaide Test (first Test of the ongoing four-match Test series), India beat the hosts Australia by 31 runs.
Coming to bat on their overnight four innings score of 104/4, the hosts Australia put a brilliant fight to chasing the 323 runs target. However, in the early morning of the day, the overnight unbeaten batsman Travis Head was dismissed on 14 runs.
The other overnight unbeaten batsman Shaun Marsh then had a 41-run partnership with the skipper Tim Paine for the sixth wicket. Marsh completed his brilliant half-century in 146 balls but soon he was caught behind on 60 off 166 balls (5 fours). Just after the second new ball was taken, the Aussie skipper Paine lost his wicket on 41 runs off 73 balls.
Struggling on 187/7, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc had a 41-run partnership for the eighth wicket. After scoring 28 off 44 balls, Starc was caught behind. Cummins had another 31-run partnership with Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket before he was caught out on 28 off 121 balls.
Battling from 259/9, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood had another fighting 32-run partnership for the last wicket before the Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ended their hope by dismissing Hazlewood on 13 runs. Lyon was not out on 38 off 47 balls (3 fours) while Australia was just 32 runs short from their target. The hosts were bundled out on 291 runs and India won their first Test in Australia since January 2008 by 31 runs.
Among the Indian bowlers, the pacers Jasprit Bumrah (3/68), Mohammed Shami (3/92) and the off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (3/65) all picked up three wickets each while another pacer Ishant Sharma (1/48) took the other one wicket.
While India has taken the 1-0 lead of this four-match Test series after winning this first Test, Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara (123 & 71) won the Player of the Match award for his outstanding batting performances in both innings of this match.
Here are some Twitter reactions:
What a way to start the series!#TeamIndia never released the pressure. Superb batting by @cheteshwar1 with crucial knocks in both innings, @ajinkyarahane88 in the 2nd innings and excellent contributions by our 4 bowlers. This has brought back memories of 2003. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/4gmviaKeCC
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 10, 2018
Test Cricket is Best Cricket. Great fight by Australia in the end but India were too good. Winning after being 41-4 in first innings is a special effort. Outstanding Test match for Pujara and great effort from our bowlers. Promises to be a great series #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/PEYzKuBsap
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 10, 2018
Finally! A long wait but what a win. Truly sensational. Exciting moments all around. Congratulations and well played guys. @BCCI #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/28gZGBIorz
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) December 10, 2018
So close…. Fighting effort from the Aussies today👏🏻👏🏻. Congratulations to India on a very impressive Test Match victory 🇦🇺🇮🇳🏏
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) December 10, 2018
India's Test wins in Australia:
1977 Melbourne 222 runs
1978 Sydney an innings and 2 runs
1981 Melbourne 59 runs
2003 Adelaide 4 wickets
2008 Perth 72 runs
2018 Adelaide 31 runs #AUSvIND #AUSvsIND— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) December 10, 2018
Great win by team India @BCCI. Bowlers have put their hands up and performed exceptionally. But one man made the difference in both the innings @cheteshwar1 just like Rahul bhai did years ago in the same ground 👏 #AUDvIND
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 10, 2018
Australia's partnerships today: 31, 41, 31, 41, 31, 32. Lose by 31. #AusvInd
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) December 10, 2018
Well played India . Well fought Australia. Well bowled Indian bowlers , Well batted Australian Bowlers.
— Vikram Sathaye (@vikramsathaye) December 10, 2018
India wins..& so does Test Crkt..!!
— Bishan Bedi (@BishanBedi) December 10, 2018
Well done India! Great win for India in Adelaide Test. Narrow 31-run victory but first time India’s won the first Test of a series in Aus. Lead 4-Test series 1-0 #INDvAUS
— Minhaz Merchant (@MinhazMerchant) December 10, 2018
Great fight from Australia’s lower order today & it should be – this is test cricket. Terrific test match & congrats to @imVkohli & his men on a wonderful victory ! Bring on Perth 👍
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) December 10, 2018
Congratulations to Indian Cricket Team🏏 !! Proud Of You#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/BYxTLkeizZ
— Chiranjeev Rao (@Chiranjeev_INC) December 10, 2018
11 catches and the first cricketer to do live commentary while playing the game. Well done @RishabPant777 !!! #INDvAUS
— Vikram Sathaye (@vikramsathaye) December 10, 2018
👉India beat Australia by 31 runs in Adelaide test
👉India's first test victory in Australia in 11 years
👉India's first ever victory in the first test of a series in Australia#INDvAUS #INDvsAUS #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/m2AlN9jdjy— Sir Jadeja fan (@SirJadeja) December 10, 2018
India won. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/uQ27omnC5a
— Pakchikpak Raja Babu (@HaramiParindey) December 10, 2018
Indians right now 😂 #IndvAus pic.twitter.com/CI7PH7HZNV
— Mask 🎭 (@Mr_LoLwa) December 10, 2018
Ravi shastri after match –
"Thoda der ke liye goti mu me tha…" 😂 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Ubagc3f2YR— Aditya Dasturkar (@adi_dasturkar) December 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/Atheist_Krishna/status/1071995858051158017
Adelaide, 2012: I saw the birth of Kohli, even as India lost heavily.
Adelaide, 2014: I watched as India imploded spectacularly. Yet, on that day was forged India's new identity, under Kohli.
Adelaide, 2018: Redemption has come, for Kohli, for me, for all of India..#INDvAUS
— Sanjay Rangharajhan (@syrambles) December 10, 2018
Congratulations team India 🇮🇳 on winning the 1st test and creating the history… All the bowlers did a great job. And definitely @cheteshwar1 knock was special and made the difference. @BCCI #INDvAUS 1-0
— Somnath sinha (@im__aslisom) December 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/chaithu_budati/status/1072012180088745984
History made!
India becomes the first Asian country to win a Test matches in South Africa, England and Australia #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/7yRSYY4yRR— Southwood (@Southwoodoffl) December 10, 2018
