Adelaide, Dec 8: Skipper Pat Cummins used short balls to good effect and pick 5-57 in his 14 overs to set the base for Australia securing a commanding ten-wicket win over India on day three of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. The result also means Australia have squared the five-match series 1-1.

Resuming from 128/5, India could add only 47 runs before their second innings was brought to a swift end in 36.5 overs by Australia, with Nitish Kumar Reddy continuing to be impressive by top-scoring with 42.

Cummins led solidly from the front to get his second five-wicket haul against India in Tests, while Scott Boland picked up three scalps and Mitchell Starc took two wickets, as India gave Australia a target of just 19.

Openers Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja were unbeaten on 10 and nine, respectively, as Australia completed the chase in just 3.2 overs to stage a stunning comeback with a thumping win in Adelaide after suffering a crushing 295-run defeat in Perth. It also means Australia maintains its clean slate of winning day-night Tests in Adelaide.

India’s hopes of going out of trouble met a swift end on day three as Starc got a full ball to just straighten off the seam and take Rishabh Pant’s outside edge to second slip to dismiss him for 28. Cummins’ bouncer plan worked when he found the glove edge of Ravichandran Ashwin’s attempted hook and was easily caught behind by Alex Carey.

Even as Reddy looked solid in defence, the bouncer ploy worked again for Cummins when he prised out the shoulder edge of a tangled Harshit Rana and was caught easily by gully, just an over after Starc hit him on the helmet with a pacy lifter.

Reddy pushed India into a slender lead when he hammered Scott Boland over long-on for a one-bounce four, and hooked a bumper from Cummins over backward square leg for six. But Cummins had the last laugh as Reddy arched back to ramp over slips, but was caught by third man.

Boland ended India’s innings by having Mohammed Siraj mistime to Travis Head at mid-wicket, who backpedalled and tumbled on his back to complete the catch. With Australia taking the winning honours over India in Adelaide, both teams have now got two more days of rest before meeting in the third game at The Gabba in Brisbane on December 14.

Brief Scores: India 180 and 175 in 36.5 overs (Nitish Kumar Reddy 42, Rishabh Pant 28; Pat Cummins 5-57, Scott Boland 3-51) lost to Australia 337 and 19/0 in 3.2 overs by ten wickets

--IANS

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