IND v AUS 2020: 'OTP to forget this is 49204084041' - Twitterati express shock as India crumble to 36/9 at Adelaide
Even in their worst nightmare, India wouldn’t have imagined what transpired in the opening session of Day 3 at Adelaide.
Having begun the day with the overnight scorecard reading 9/1 and a significant lead of 62 in hand, India conceded the advantage at Adelaide within the action-packed first half hour of the day’s play.
The day began with nightwatchman Jasprit Bumrah gifting a simple return catch to Pat Cummins. It opened the floodgates as Cheteshwar Pujara (0), Mayank Agarwal (9), Ajinkya Rahane (0), Virat Kohli (4), Wriddhiman Saha (4), Ravichandran Ashwin (0) and Hanuma Vihari (8) followed in what was a procession of wickets.
As if things couldn't get any worse, Mohammed Shami retired hurt for 1. India finished only 36/9, setting Australia a target of just 90.
To their credit, Australia exposed Indian batsmen frailties outside the corridor of uncertainty. Josh Hazlewood claimed magical figures of 5/8 while Pat Cummins registered figures of 4/21 to leave the Indian team scarred at what had transpired.
As for Indian fans, they resorted to Twitter to vent their frustration, some with humour and others seething with anger at the Adelaide disaster.
How Twitter reacted to India’s horror show at Adelaide
India’s lowest total in Test history when all out is 42, against England at Lord’s in 1974.
No player apart from Eknath Solkar (18* off 17) managed to cross 5 as the English pace duo of Geoff Arnold and Chris Old helped the hosts win the match by an innings and 286 runs. Notably, India were whitewashed 3-0 in the series, with two of those Tests resulting in innings defeats.
India’s second-lowest total in Test cricket, however, came on Australian soil when Lala Amarnath’s side were bundled out for 58 in the second innings of the 1947 Brisbane Test, courtesy Fred Trueman returning magical numbers of 8 for 31. Interestingly, India folded for 98 in the third innings to lose by an innings and 226 runs.