Zimpapers Logo

PUNE, India. — Australia’s utter dominance in Pune provided clear evidence that the touring side arrived in India armed with the tactics and personnel to beat the hosts at their own game in what promises to be a compelling four-test series. Few would have predicted the events that unfolded in the opener, however, with top-ranked India riding a 19-test unbeaten run against a rebuilding Australian side regarded as massive underdogs by captain Steve Smith.

The odds were heavily stacked against a side that had lost their previous nine tests in Asia and suffered a 4-0 whitewash when they last toured India in 2013, but Smith and his men were in the mood to cause an upset.

“Everyone wrote us off and expected India to win 4-0,” a smiling Smith told reporters after Australia had eased to a stunning 333-run victory within three days on Saturday. “That can’t happen any more.”

Pune was hosting a test for a first time and the bone dry pitch appeared tailor-made for India’s vaunted spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to enhance their reputation as the top two bowlers in the test rankings.

Instead, it was Australian left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe who shone the brightest of the slow bowlers, scything through India twice with identical figures of 6-35 to help dismiss the shell-shocked hosts for 105 and 107 in their two innings.

O’Keefe alone matched Ashwin and Jadeja’s combined haul over both innings as he and off-spinner Nathan Lyon took all 10 Indian wickets to fall on Saturday.

The touring side were also far more proficient with the bat than the hosts, adapting better to the tricky conditions by taking fewer risks and putting away any loose deliveries.

Australia’s batsmen saw out close to 182 overs in their two innings while their Indian counterparts, who grew up playing on the country’s low and slow surfaces, lost all 20 wickets in just 74 overs.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Fresh and confident after morale-boosting wins with a new-look lineup over South Africa and Pakistan at home, Australia bonded at a pre-tour training camp in Dubai and honed their skills with a three-day match against India ‘A’ in Mumbai. — AFP.