Ravichandran Ashwin struck early in Australia's second innings, trapping both openers in front — David Warner (10) in the very first over, and Shaun Marsh (0) in the seventh over — even as the visiting team rode on captain Steven Smith's half-century to end the day at 143/4, extending their lead to 298, on a pitch that spinners would like to take home gift-wrapped.
Earlier, the famed Indian batting line-up crumbled like a house of cards in front of rookie Australian left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe as the visitors took control of the first cricket Test, here today.
O’Keefe produced a career-best 6-35 run figures as India lost seven wickets for 35 runs in 15.1 overs in the sensational post-lunch session and were dismissed for 105 runs to hand the visitors a crucial lead of 155 runs.
At tea on the second day of the series opener, Australia were 46 for two in their second innings.
After being shot out for a paltry total, India hit back immediately through off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who dismissed openers David Warner and Shaun Marsh in quick time.
Australia, who made 260 in their first innings, advanced to 46 for 2 in the second to an overall lead of 201 on a venomous pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
Australia skipper Steve Smith was unbeaten on 27 off 48 balls along with Peter Handscomb (8) at the final break of the day.
Ashwin picked up two wickets for 29 in the second innings and Ravindra Jadeja went wicket-less after conceding 16 runs.
Ashwin, howeever, was let down by poor catching as Smith was dropped by Vijay at leg slip when on 27.
Earlier, resuming at the lunchtime score of 70 for three, India added 24 runs before things started happening and they lost wickets in a heap, six of them to the 32-year-old Malaysia-born O’Keefe who finished with a career-best figures that included a devastating spell of 5 for 6 in 24 balls.
The Indian innings, that commenced early in the morning following the last wicket dismissal of Australia in just five balls, lasted under three hours, The host lost seven wickets in 65 minutes in the second session.
O’Keefe started the collapse by dismissing well-set K L Rahul (64) in the eighth over post lunch in which he also scalped Ajinkya Rahane (13) and Wridhiman Saha to leave the hosts tottering at 95 for six.
Rahul was caught at long off while going for a extravagant shot while Rahane and Saha fell to catches off sharply turning balls from the left-arm spinner.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon then packed off Ravichandran Ashwin in the third ball of the next over at 95, caught brilliantly by Handscomb at forward short-leg.
O’Keefe then sent home Jayant Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in successive overs to leave India gasping at 101 for 9 and in danger of being bowled out for their lowest total by Australia at home.
But a streaky shot for four by Umesh Yadav helped the home team get past that mark of 104 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in 2004 when Michael Clarke, in his debut series, picked up 6 for 9.
But O’Keefe could not be denied for long as he turned one across the bat of Umesh Yadav, who edged it to rival skipper Steve Smith at the slip, thus drawing curtains to India’s innings in seven minutes under three hours and in 40.1 overs.
India were in difficulties by lunch itself after they were pushed on the back foot by Australia’s pace bowlers.
India, who polished off the last Australian wicket for the addition of just four runs in the fifth ball of the morning, were put on the ropes by left—arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc and his pace partner Josh Hazlewood.
Hazlewood, who did not use the new ball and replaced Starc in the seventh over, got the first breakthrough in his opening over by packing off Murali Vijay, who was caught behind for 10 with 26 on board.
Starc then came back for his second spell to snap up the key wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (6) and captain Virat Kohli for a duck in just three balls to leave the hosts gasping at 44 for three.
Hazlewood removed in-form opener Vijay with a ball that moved in a shade and took the bat’s outside edge as the batsman poked at it in the seventh over of the innings.
Starc, then, stunned the hosts with a double strike in the first over of his second spell.
He first packed off another in-form Cheteshwar Pujara (6), with an unplayable snorter that the batsman gloved to Wade, while taking evasive action.
The lanky pacer then struck the biggest blow of the morning by removing Kohli, who came into the game on the back of scoring over four double centuries in four of the last five series played, for a second—ball duck.
The India captain, who had average 80 plus after tallying 1457 runs in the last 13 Tests, was lured to drive a wide ball angling away delivery of Starc, only to nick it to his opposite number Steven Smith at first slip.
Opener Rahul batted with composure and poise at the other end when wickets kept falling.
But all his good work went to waste after he reached his half century with a single, post lunch, and then threw away his wicket which started the dramatic collapse.
In the morning, it took Ashwin just five balls to dismiss the last Australian wicket when he induced a wild shot from Starc only to be holed out to deep mid-wicket.
Starc, who unbeaten on 57 off 58 balls overnight in a team total of 256 for nine, departed for 61 off 63 balls, and his pulverizing knock included three sixes and six fours.
With Starc’s scalp, Ashwin also went past the great Kapil Dev’s record most Test wickets in a home season.
Ashwin’s tally of 64 wickets in 10 Test matches at home went past Kapil’s earlier mark of 63 wickets in 13 Tests created way back on 1979-80 at the beginning of the great all-rounder’s career.
While Ashwin ended up with three victims, Umesh Yadav was the best bowler for India with superb figures of 4 or 32, his best figures at home and second-best overall after the 5 for 93 he took against the same opponents in Perth in January 2012 on his debut.
