🏏India vs Australia - 1st Test: VCAS, Nagpur: 09 - 13 Feb 2023 🏏 - Page 40

Pat Cummins "The game moves pretty quickly at times. You have to manage your tempos. Thought India played really well, their spinners are always going to be hard work when the wicket is spinning and thought Rohit showed his class. That first innings, the wicket spun but wasn't unplayable. Would have loved another 100 or so runs and put a bit more pressure on their first innings. Obviously starting here is tough but three or four of our guys got in and started to look pretty comfortable in the first innings. Those guys who do get in have got to turn it into big scores. [Todd Murphy] He was fantastic on debut. He's been very impressive. Bowled plenty overs."

India win by an innings and 132 runs and could not have made a bigger statement at the start of this series. Australia lose all 10 wickets in basically a session. You know what you are going to get when you come to India, but it's a different question entirely being able to confront it. India were in charge from the very start and, apart from being 168 for 5, were comfortably in front throughout. Ravindra Jadeja was magnificent all-round and Rohit Sharma's hundred set up India's innings. Axar Patel, too, batted very well although as evidenced by this collapse, India would already have had enough runs. There is a lot for Australia to ponder. They had some injury issues leading into the Test and also made the big call to leave out Travis Head. The return of Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc would be timely, but they face a huge call to get back into this series. There will be focus on today's collapse, but making 177 in the first innings was where the game was lost. It's so hard to play catch-up cricket.

STAT: Biggest innings wins for India vs Australia
Inngs & 219 runs Kolkata 1997/98
Inngs & 135 runs Hyderabad 2012/13
Inngs & 132 runs Nagpur 2022/23 *

That is all from this first Test at Nagpur. Australia have been beaten, battered and blown away. Do they have it in them to come back with a better effort in Delhi? So much hype coming into this series, and the opener has gone the way most matches usually go in India, with India's spinners making them dance to their tunes on a pitch where Nathan Lyon was found a bit wanting with figures of 1/126. Todd Murphy's performance will give them some heart though. We'll see you again in six days time, with two extra days off for everyone involved. For now, it's goodbye from Sagar Chawla on behalf of Siva, MS Ramakrishnan and Abhinand Raghavendran.

Yayy Ind won wow what bowling effort👏 Rohit's century then Jaduu n Axar playing good inning n gave us a good lead. Good job

Australia have been hammered here in Nagpur, getting bowled out in a session with India's spinners making the pitch look menacing. You thought Axar Patel was being cheeky yesterday when he said the pitch will play well when India are batting, but there will be help when it was their turn to bowl. But just look at what has happened. Ashwin and Jadeja were near unplayable out there, more so against a clueless batting order, bowling them out for just 91. To be fair, it did look difficult the moment Ashwin took the new ball, finding a good amount of turn and racing to a five-for in just his 10th over. He beat Jadeja to the milestone this time, not that the latter looked any less threatening. The two of them were so deadly that Axar Patel only managed a solitary wicket in the entire Test.

And it's not just India's bowling strength that is unparalleled in these conditions. The depth of their batting was also critical to the win. Rohit Sharma made a brilliant ton, but the lead was still not out of sight when he got out. However, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel took the game away against a tiring attack that had only four proper bowlers. Jadeja, after a five-for in the first innings, made his comeback even sweeter with a fifty. And he had Axar for company, with the two of them putting on 88 for the 8th wicket. They batted Australia out of the contest, leading to the third innings rout.

Ashwin:(1/1) You know how things work from the third day onwards here in Test matches. I'd credit the batting unit, they really dug deep and kept them on the field for a long while. It's going to be tough for the team coming out and bat. The early wickets really set the tone today. (Nightwatchman) I've really struggled to cope up with sitting inside and watching the guys bat sometimes, I am too nervous these days. I've been asking them for an opportunity to go out and bat early if there's an opportunity and it presented itself. My friend Pujara just let it go, he said I need a nightwatchman, 20 minutes to go.' I took the opportunity gladly. I thought this wicket was quite slow. You need to get the batsman driving on this. Getting them to drive was a good way for me to lure them into shots and induce the other half of the bat as well. The carry and bounce seemed a little low. (Bowling with Jadeja) Massive help is an understatement. He's been in phenomenal form. The way he's batted, the way he's bowled and we don't have to talk about how well he moves in the field. He's been a fantastic cricketer. I'm so thankful for the fact that I've got a partner like him to be bowling alongside me and Axar is no ordinary bowler either. We've got a very good set of spinners and all of us who can bat.

Ashwin (2/2): This is probably the Plan A they (Australia) had, I am sure they'll introspect and try to come out with different plans next game. I've experimented a lot, but to stay at the moment is very important. If you keep flying and wanna make plans in the air, sometimes it can go amiss. I expect Australia to come back really hard and strong. They are a world-class side. This game, we just batted beautifully and batted deep even today. 220 is a lot of runs. The next game would be different, I am looking forward to it. (Designated nightwatchman this series?) I really look forward to going out there and batting. I am getting into good positions. If and when there's an opportunity, I am always ready. Knowing Puji, I think it's going to happen.

There's news coming in that Jadeja has been found guilty of a Level 1 offence as per the ICC Code of conduct. He applied a cream on his left index finger for swelling without the umpire's permission during the first innings, and gets a demerit point for it, while also being fined 25 percent of his match fee. The match referee was satisfied the cream was not applied to the ball as an artificial substance to alter its condition.