‘Great week’ for the team, says Australian skipper Pat Cummins after 10-wicket win over India in Adelaide Test

Australia leveled the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series 1-1 with a commanding 10-wicket victory over India in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide. The win came as a morale-boosting turnaround after a heavy 295-run defeat in Perth during the first Test. Skipper Pat Cummins called the victory a “great week” for the team, emphasizing their improved performance and praising key contributors.

Reflecting on the match, Cummins said, “We were far from the team we want to be in Perth, but this was good. [On Starc] He’s amazing and has done it for over a decade. [On Boland] Scotty just fitted in straightaway, like he always does. Hopefully, Josh [Hazlewood] is back next week, but Scotty is unbelievable.”

Cummins also lauded Travis Head’s match-defining century and Mitchell Starc’s relentless bowling. “The game could have gone either way when Head went out to bat, but he shifted the momentum,” he added.

India won the toss and chose to bat, but their innings faltered under the brilliance of Mitchell Starc, who claimed 6/48. Brief resistance came from KL Rahul (37), Shubman Gill (31), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (42), but the Indian team was bowled out for 180. Cummins and Scott Boland supported Starc with two wickets each.

Australia’s first innings saw a 67-run partnership between Nathan McSweeney (39) and Marnus Labuschagne (64) lay a solid foundation. Travis Head then dominated the Indian bowling attack with a counter-attacking 140 off 141 balls, propelling Australia to a total of 337 and a 157-run lead. Jasprit Bumrah (4/61) and Mohammed Siraj (4/98) were the standout bowlers for India.

India’s second innings was another disappointment as the batting lineup collapsed again. Despite starts from Jaiswal (24), Gill (28), and Rishabh Pant (28), the team was bowled out for 175, setting Australia a modest target of 19 runs. Pat Cummins led the bowling effort with a five-wicket haul (5/67), while Boland (3/51) and Starc (2/60) provided strong support.

Also See: India vs Australia (IND vs AUS) Schedule | Australia Cricket Schedule (Upcoming Series)

Australia chased the target comfortably in 3.2 overs, with Usman Khawaja (10*) and McSweeney (9*) finishing the job.

The win marks a significant turnaround for Australia, and with the series now tied, both teams will look to the upcoming Gabba Test to gain the upper hand.