ADELAIDE (Agencies): Pat Cummins took 5-57 as Australia wrapped up an emphatic 10-wicket victory over India on day three of the second Test to square the series at 1-1.
India resumed on 128-5 – 29 runs adrift – at the Adelaide Oval and were dismissed for 175 despite Nitish Kumar Reddy’s battling 42.
Cummins did the most damage while Scott Boland claimed 3-51 and Mitchell Starc 2-60 to set Australia a target of 19 for victory.
Openers Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja chased down the total in just 3.2 overs.
The third Test in Brisbane starts on 14 December.
India’s defeat now means they now need to win all three remaining Tests in the five-match series to qualify for the World Test Championship final.
Australia must win four out of their next five Tests to be certain of their spot but are likely to need fewer victories.
Cummins bounces out India
Australia had put themselves in a commanding position after Mitchell Starc’s career-best Test figures of 6-48 on day one and a brilliant 140 from Travis Head on day two.
India’s hopes of giving themselves a chance to pull off an unlikely victory were largely dependent on the mercurial Rishabh Pant.
The wicketkeeper, who was unbeaten on 28 overnight, has the potential to score quick runs and generate a shift in momentum within the space of a couple of hours at the crease.
So when Pant was caught at slip off the sixth ball of the day from left-arm quick Starc, without adding to his score, India’s faint hopes diminished further.
Australia captain Cummins then showed his ruthless side in a bid to get the job done inside a session as he adopted a short-ball strategy to blow away India’s lower order.
Ravichandran Ashwin was dismissed by Cummins for seven when he gloved an attempted pull to a bouncer to Alex Carey behind the stumps.
Harshit Rana then got in a tangle as he failed to fend off an awkward bumper angled across him from Cummins and Khawaja took a routine catch at gully.
India all-rounder Reddy hooked a Cummins bouncer for six only to perish for 42 next ball when he attempted to uppercut another short-pitched delivery and was caught by McSweeney at deep third man.
In the three innings so far in this series where India have been bowled out, Reddy has been their top scorer, which demonstrates he has some steel for the fight when the going gets tough.
Boland wrapped up India’s innings when Mohammed Siraj skied one and Head took a tumbling catch at mid-wicket.
McSweeney and Khawaja made light work of the total, with the former hitting Reddy for two fours in the third over before the latter struck the winning run.
