Adelaide Test: India beat Australia by 31 runs to clinch historic win

Image Credits: Twitter/@BCCI

India scripted history on Monday by registering a win in the opening Test of a series in Australia for the very first time by clinching a victory over the hosts by 31 runs on day five at the Adelaide Oval. 

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and pace-bowlers Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah combined to tear through the Australian batting when it mattered the most. 

Chasing a huge target of 323 runs to win, Shaun Marsh (60) and skipper Tim Paine (41) were the top scorers for Australia.Pat Cummins (28), Mitchell Starc (28) and Nathan Lyon (38) also made significant contributions to delay a victory for India. 

It is to be noted that this is the first time that India have won the opening Test match of an Australian tour.

With the win, India have now taken a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The two sides will play their second Test on December 14 at Perth Stadium. 

Here are the highlights:

# India clinch a nerve-wracking 31-run win over Australia in the opening Test.

THAT IS IT! #TeamIndia has done it! Another glorious chapter added to our love affair with Adelaide. Got close in the end, but India win by 31 runs and lead the series 1-0 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/hmW1Lla2q8 — BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2018

# Wicket! Ashwin strikes again. Ashwin tosses the ball up and Hazlewood looks to play it through the covers but gets an outside edge to hand a low catch to KL Rahul at gully. Australia all out for 291.

All over! A cracking Test comes to an end as Ashwin dismisses Hazlewood and India win by 31 runs! Plenty of fight from Australia today.

What a contest: https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/zXIbgXaIMm — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# The Indian bowlers are bowling with discipline and they now need just one wicket to clinch the victory. Australia, on the other hand, continue to work hard, with  Lyon and Hazlewood  looking to delay the inevitable. Australia 272/9 (115 overs)

Australia need 49 more runs to win... #AUSvIND https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# Ishant Sharma back into the attack!

# Josh Hazlewood walk in to the crease!

# Wicket! Bumrah dismisses Cummins. The Australian player looks to go for the square cut but gets an outside edge to eventually hand a simple catch to Indian skipper Kohli at first slip. India just one wicket away from historic win. Australia 259/9 (109 overs)

9 down! 1 more to go #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/N8wS6h4NWF — BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2018

# Lyon (11) is trying to give some support to Cummins (25) as the hosts are looking for a miracle with two wickets remaining. Meanwhile, the Indian bowlers have been on the mark and are bowling patiently. Australia require 76 more runs to win. Australia 247/8 (106 overs)

# Nathan Lyon comes to bat for Australia!

#Wicket! A big relief for India as they finally manage to depart Starc (28), who was looking strong at the crease, thanks to Shami's beatifull delivery. Starc goes for the big expansive cut shot but gets an outside edge and straight to Pant, who takes his 11th catch of the match. Australia 228/8 (101 overs)

Out. Shami breaks the partnership as Starc edges behind to Pant for his 11th catch of the Test. Gone for 28.

Australia 8-228 and India are two wickets away #AUSvIND https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# Starc (20) and Cummins (15) are making things difficult for India as they are fighting hard to make sure that they can stretch the game as far as possible. Meanwhile, the Indian bowlers  are constantly trying to pile pressure on the hosts by delivering a few maiden overs. The hosts still need 99 runs to win. Australia 218/ 7 (96 overs)

Australia need 99 more runs.
India need three more wickets.

Don't miss a moment in our match centre or CA Live app #AUSvIND https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# The hosts have managed to go past 200-run mark, which is a mini milestone for Australia but doesn't mean much in context of the match. Cummins (10) and Starc (15) are batting cautiously and looking for a partnership at this crucial point. India, on the other hand, are trying hard to pile pressure on the Australian batsmen as they are desperately in search of the wickets. Australia 208/7 (91 overs)

# Mitchell Starc is the new batsman in !

# Wicket! Bumrah strikes again to depart skipper Paine for 41 runs. Paine tries to go for a pull shot through midwicket but gets a thick top edge and it flies straight to wicketkeeper Pant, who doesn't make a mistak and takes a simple catch. It is his tenth catch of the match. Australia 187/7 (85 overs)

Out. Short one from Bumrah and Paine skies it to Pant for a record-equalling 10th catch in the Test. Gone for 41 and India are three wickets away... #AUSvIND https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# Play resumes

That will be Lunch. #TeamIndia 4 wickets away while Australia require 137 to win #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WSpASwYLaD — BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2018

#Lunch!

# A fantastic session for India but Australia have also shown a good fight. While Virat Kohli's men are now just four wicket away from a historic win, the hosts need 137 more runs to emerge victories. Australia 186/6 (83 overs)

That's lunch! Paine (40*) and Cummins (5*) make it through to the break with Australia 6-186 and needing 137 more to win: https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/LhkfWFTzGG — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# Paine (36) is fighting hard and hoping for a good support from Cummins (four) as Australia look not to go further down without a fight. The skipper has also called the physio at the crease after hurting his index finger. Meanwhile, there is a change in bowling attack as he replaces Bumrah. Australia 181/6 (80 overs)

Paine getting some treatment out in the middle on his right index finger. He's strapped up and ready to continue batting #AUSvIND https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

#Ashwin is back into the attack!

# The visitors thought they have taken another wicket when Pat Cummins was given out caught at short leg off Ashwin's delivery . However, the Australian batsman went for the DRS and review showed that he had not nicked it. The decision has been overturned. Australia 156-4 (76 overs)

The review saves Pat Cummins! #AUSvIND @SpecsaversAU #SpecsaversCricket pic.twitter.com/JzVirRy6kV — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# Pat Cummins is the new batsman in !

# Wicket! Bumrah strikes for India. Virat Kohli's men breath a sigh of relief as they get a big wicket in form of Marsh (60). The ball moved away from Marsh after pitching and took the faintest of edges off the bat before it eventually landed to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Australia are six down now. Australia 156/6 (73 overs)

Out. Bumrah gets the massive wicket as SMarsh edges behind for 60.

Australia 6-156 #AUSvIND https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

What a ball! Bumrah sends back the in form Shaun Marsh. 4 wickets to go for #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/ypnl5RDKjy — BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2018

# Marsh is looking quite solid at the moment as he, along with skipper Paine, looks to reduce the target for Australia which is now down to 169. However, the hosts need to take things slowly and set small targets for themselves.  India definitelty need to get some wickets as soon as possible in order to avoid the game getting out of their hand. Australia 154/5 (70 overs)

#Murali Vijay replaces Ashwin into the attack!

# Marsh notches up his first half-century with a boundary off Ashwin's delivery in the last ball of the 66th over. The fifty comes off 146 balls and is laced with five boundaries.This is Marsh’s maiden Test half-century in the fourth innings of a Test match. Australia 139/5 (66 overs) 

FIFTY! Shaun Marsh brings up a quality half-century with a boundary! It comes off 146 balls and it's his first in the fourth-innings of a Test: https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WJSiQUIRhD — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

Shaun Marsh brings up his 50 in style!#AUSvIND | @Domaincomau pic.twitter.com/AbNJxutxZc — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# Paine (seven) and Marsh (44) continue to fight as they are looking to stitch a partnership to save the game for Australia. India, on the other hand, have called in Shami to replace Ishant. The right-arm seamer picked a few crucial wickets on Sunday and he will look to put a similar kind of performance today. The hosts still require 193 more runs to win. Australia 130/5 (63 overs)

Shot! The Aussie skipper is off the mark with a boundary.

Live coverage here: https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/z0BDHeABid — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

# Mohammed Shami is introduced into the attack.

# Skipper Tim Paine walks in to bat for Australia !

#Wicket! Ishant Sharma gives India the breakthrough on the fifth day as he delivers a fine bouncer, which opener Travis Head looks to fend it down to leg-side but it gets a top edge and the ball loops into the air to hand Ajinkya Rahane the simplest of catches at gully.Australia 115/5 (57 overs)

Out. A brute from Ishant and Head pops it up to Rahane. Gone for 14.

Australia 5-115 #AUSvIND https://t.co/lTUqyqRMzW — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 10, 2018

First wicket of the morning courtesy @ImIshant #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/0qGcMm2P7i — BCCI (@BCCI) December 10, 2018

# The Australian batsmen are looking to settle in at the moment before going for their shots.Ashwin is trying for dot balls to pile up the pressure on the hosts. Australia still need 213 runs to win. Australia  110/4 (54 overs)

# Shaun Marsh and Travis Head walk down the crease to resume the innings for Australia. Ravichandran Ashwin starts over the wicket for India. 

# The fifth day's play is all set to get underway.

Perfect day for a run chase  #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/N3DMduwWme — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2018

Let's do this #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/6wCpXxdRzN — BCCI (@BCCI) December 9, 2018

Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami scalped two wickets each as India ended the fourth day's play in a strong position on Sunday, needing just six wickets to win the opening Test of the four-match series against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. 

Chasing a huge target of 323 runs to win, the Indian bowlers started putting pressure on Australia from the very first over, with Ishant Sharma rapping opener Aaron Finch on the pads in the second ball and the umpire raising his finger. But, Finch opted for the review and replay showed Ishant's front foot landed on the line. 

Finch, however, could not stay at the crease for long as he got dismissed off Ashwin's delivery after scoring just 11 runs.

Soon after the beginning of the third session, Shami struck for India and sent Marcus Harris back to the pavilion for just 26 runs. 

Following the quick dismissals of the Australian openers, the Indian bowlers started piling even more pressure on the hosts as they avoided giving them easy runs and managed to bowl a few maiden overs. 

Shami and Ashwin soon got rid of Usman Khawaja (eight) and Peter Handscomb (14) as Australia struggled to build the partnership during the fourth day's play.

At stumps, Shaun Marsh (31) and Travis Head (11) were at the crease and had guided Australia to a 100-run mark. The home side ended the day needing 219 runs to win the match. 

Lineups:  

Australia XI: Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c,wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood. 

India XI: KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma.