AUS vs IND: India beat Australia by 8 wickets at the MCG to level the four-match series at 1-1.© AFP
India looked down and out after the humiliating loss in the opening Test in Adelaide. With talismanic captain and batting star Virat Kohli also returning home on paternity leave, few gave India a hope of making an impression in the remainder of the three Tests. After India’s capitulation in Adelaide, former England captain Michael Vaughan had tweeted that “India are going to get hammered in the Test Series” and predicted a 4-0 whitewash. Attaching that tweet, former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer took to Twitter to troll the Englishman by posting a hilarious meme following the visitors’ memorable win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
#INDvAUS #AUSvIND https://t.co/cpb0rUKMEF pic.twitter.com/QemqRrYuMJ
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 29, 2020
India bounced back from the Adelaide debacle in style by outplaying the hosts on all four days of the second Test to level the four-match series at 1-1.
Barring the toss, everything went India’s way with stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane putting in an inspired performance.
Not only was Rahane astute in his captaincy but was also the star with the bat in hand. He scored a magnificent century in the first innings to give India a crucial 131-run lead.
Australia were just as poor in the second innings as they were in the first, with star batsman Steve Smith having a torrid time. The hosts could only manage 200 with debutant Mohammed Siraj taking three wickets, to add to his 2 dismissals in the first.
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Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja too bowled beautifully. India’s bowling performance was the all the more impressive with fast bowler Umesh Yadav sidelined due to an injury after bowling just 3.3 overs in the second innings.
The third Test is scheduled to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) starting on January 7, however, with coronavirus cases rising in Sydney, MCG could host the next match as well.
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