NEW DELHI: Ravindra Jadeja's arm balls became a lethal weapon on a slow turning track of the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi as India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by beating Australia by six wicket in the second Test.
With this win, India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. India had won the opening Test in Nagpur by an innings and 132 runs.
The win in Delhi was India's 100th against Australia across formats.
The third Test will be played at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore from March 1.
Jadeja was adjudged Man of the Match for his career-best 7 for 42. He took 10 wickets in the match.
1/10:Jadeja stars as India hammer Australia to take 2-0 Test series lead
AP
2/10:India win by 6 wickets
<p>Ravindra Jadeja returned career-best figures of 7/42 to lead Australia's hammering by six wickets inside three days to bring India to a 2-0 Test series lead. </p>Getty Images
3/10:Spin Twins
<p>Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin to dismiss Australia for 113 in a morning session when the tourists' batting imploded, thanks to an overused sweep shot on a tricky pitch. </p>AFP
4/10:Border Gavaskar Trophy
<p>India romped to their victory target of 115 in the second session to guarantee them retention of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in the four-match series.</p>PTI
5/10:World Test Championship final
<p>India have won their previous three series against Australia and are now close to securing a spot in the World Test Championship final.</p>PTI
6/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>India lost skipper Rohit Sharma, run out after a fluent 31, and Virat Kohli, who surpassed 25,000 international runs, stumped on 20.</p>PTI
7/10:Cheteshwar Pujara
<p>But Cheteshwar Pujara stood firm with 31 in his landmark 100th Test to steer the team home with a winning four as Srikar Bharat (23*), looked on. </p>PTI
8/10:Nathan Lyon
<p>Nathan Lyon took two wickets to return a match-haul of seven. </p>AP
9/10:90 minutes of mayhem
<p>Australia crashed from their overnight 61-1 to get bowled out in 31.1 overs after losing nine wickets for 52 runs in just over 90 minutes of mayhem. </p>Getty Images
10/10:Improved show
<p>Jadeja improved on his previous Test best of 7-48 to add to his three in the first innings. Ashwin grabbed the remaining three. </p>PTIAustralian batters paid the price for some atrocious shot selection and were bowled out for 113 inside the first session, leaving India with a paltry victory target of 115 runs. Australia lost nine wickets for only 52 runs and it was not the pitch but the messed up minds that led to their downfall for the second time in the series.
Steve Smith, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carry, Pat Cummins and Matt Kuhnemann were all guilty of playing the ugly slog sweep and some tried non-existent reverse sweep off deliveries bowled on either middle or leg stump line.
They were either bowled or adjudged leg before in the process as the deliveries started keeping low.
AFP Photo
Ravichandran Ashwin (3/59) also played the supporting act to perfection as eight Australian batters failed to reach double figures save overnight pair of Travis Head (45) and Marnus Labschagne (35), who had briefly counter-attacked last evening with some degree of success.
Chasing 115, India lost out-of-form KL Rahul for just 1. KL had scored 20 in the Nagpur Test and then 12 and 1 in the second Test.
Captain Rohit Sharma entertained the Delhi crowd with some massive hits. Rohit (31 off 20 balls) showed how to tackle the Australian spinners before being run-out due to a mix-up. He hit three fours and two sixes in his knock.
Local boy Virat Kohli tried to resurrect India's innings but was dismissed for 20 by Todd Murphy. Kohli danced down the track and failed to judge the turn and was stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Cheteshwar Pujara had something to cheer about on his 100th Test appearance as he remained unbeaten on 31 and fittingly hit the winning boundary.
India have now put one foot in the final of the World Test Championship in England in June, having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four match series.
(With inputs from PTI)
