The Indian team, posting their lowest-ever total in an innings in Test cricket, sent shockwaves in the cricket-mad country. Former India opener Virender Sehwag, who was known for his explosive batting, took to Twitter to troll India's dismal batting performance. None of the Indian batsman could get into double figures and Sehwag trolled the team's worst batting performance by comparing it to an OTP that no one would like to remember. "The OTP to forget this is 49204084041," Sehwag wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
After taking a solid 53-run lead in the first innings, the visitors were in a commanding position but a spirited performance from Australia's fast-bowling duo of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, made a mockery of India's widely-acclaimed batting line-up.
India, who were ahead by 62 runs after the second day's play, could only add 27 runs to their overnight score.
Making matters worse, India's fast-bowling spearhead Mohammed Shami was retired out after a Pat Cummins bouncer left him in distress as India's innings ended on 36/9. Australia got an easy target of 90 runs to win the game that would give them a head-start in the four-match series.
The only respite for the Indian team was that they somehow managed to go past the lowest-ever total by any team in the longest format. However, they fell six short of their previous lowest total of 42 runs, scored against England in 1974 at Lord's.
Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin failed to trouble the scorers, departing for a duck. While Cummins and Hazlewood deserve the praise, the Indian players' inability to deal with the seam and swing was equally responsible for the collapse.
Chasing 90 to win, Australian openers Matthew Wade and Joe Burns stitched a solid 70-run partnership for the first wicket as hosts reached the total with eight wickets left to take 1-0 lead in the four-match series.