India v Australia | Steve O’ Keefe ends India’s 19-match unbeaten streak

02/25/2017

A century by skipper Steve Smith and a 12-wicket match haul by left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe helped Australia win the first Test of the series by 333 runs only on the third day at Pune. While Australia broke their 13-year winless streak in India, India’s undefeated 19-match streak came to an end.

Brief scores:Australia 260 (Renshaw 68, Starc 61, Umesh Yadav 4/32) & 285 ( Smith 109, Ashwin 4/119) India 105 (Vijay 64, O’ Keefe 6/34) & 107 all out (Pujara 31, O’Keefe 6/34, Lyon 3/53)

Before the series opener, everyone and his pet dog were predicting a 4-0 drubbing of Australia, but the minefield of a wicket that India had welcomed the visitors with turned out to be India’s undoing. After a captain’s knock by Steve Smith, the Australian spinners exposed Indian batsmen’s weaknesses completely.

On the final day, Australia resumed at 143 for 4 with the overnight pair of Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh who kept the scoreboard ticking along. They were able to negotiate Ashwin’s bowling without much fuss, but Jadeja was getting some alarming turn that kept both batsmen in check.

Steve Smith, who received as many as four lifelines from the Indian close fielders, employed the sweep shot to great effect and did not shy away from stepping out of the crease for the spinners. The visiting captain played a crucial knock that took him to the match's only century before he was dismissed at 109 out lbw to Ravindra Jadeja.

Mitchell Starc, who had played a counter-attacking cameo in the first innings to start India's downfall, once again gathered quick runs to demoralize the hosts. Starc's 31-ball 30 saw as many as three sixes and two boundaries.

Eventually, Australia managed 285 runs, giving India a previously insurmountable target of 442 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin finished with 4 for 119 while Ravindra Jadeja picked up the last wicket to end with 3 for 65 in 33 overs.

Although a 442-run target was daunting, what was more depressing was the manner in which the Indian batsmen got out. No one seemed to take the responsibility on their shoulder. Just after two overs from Mitchell Starc, Smith decided to go with first-innings hero O’Keefe, who responded well with the wicket of Murali Vijay.

While Ravindra Jadeja who was getting good help from the third-day pitch was pitching the ball wider and shorter, O'Keefe went for a fuller and straighter length - and it reaped rewards. India’s tryst with wrong DRS calls continued as they wasted two reviews within a space of only two overs. Kohli, who has been enjoying the form of his life, was caught plumb by O’Keefe for 13, which left India in a precarious position of 47/3.

The match was put to bed soon when Kohli, who has been enjoying the form of his life, was dismissed by O’Keefe for 13. The Indian skipper had earlier survived an lbw appeal, which would have gone Australia's way had they reviewed. But that lifeline did not last long though. Kohli decided to leave an O'Keefe delivery down the middle expecting it to turn away, but the delivery kept its line and found his middle stump.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane then added 30 runs for the fourth wicket before O’Keefe got the big scalp of Rahane to destroy India’s hopes. Rahane had looked to be India's best batsman in the innings, but the spinner's delivery came on a tad bit slower catching the Indian vice-captain unawares and ending as a catch at cover.

After another six-wicket haul by O’Keefe ended any hopes for India held, fellow spinner Nathan Lyon mopped by the last three wickets in a span of five runs to as give Australia their first Test win in Indian soil after 13 years. With that, came to an end India's unbeaten 19-Test streak.

India v Australia | Steve O’ Keefe ends India’s 19-match unbeaten streak

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