Australia vs India: Hosts hammer Virat Kohli and co to level series

Australia blew away the remainder of the Indian batting on the fifth and final day of the second Test match in Perth to win it by 146 runs.

The hosts thus have levelled the four-match series 1-1.
The majority of the damage to the Indian batting was already done on the fourth day itself and it was only a matter of time that Australia ended the contest with the win.

Given a target of 287 to double their lead or even draw the contest, all India could manage was 140 as the Aussie bowlers wreaked havoc on a pitch that was difficult to bat on.

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Fast bowler Mohammad Shami had said that India ‘missed a trick’ while deciding the playing XI as they didn’t choose a spinner. They paid the price for such a decision, especially with opposition spinner Nathan Lyon destroying the Indian batting in both the innings. No wonder he ended as Man-of-the-Match after his eight-wicket haul in the match.

Resuming the day at 112/5, India faced an uphill task if they were to drag this game to an unlikely draw–especially with all their main batsmen back in the hut. Newcomers Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant occupied the crease and the job had become relatively easier for the hosts, with no potential threat with the bat remaining.

Mitchell Starc, who regained his mojo in this Test match drew first blood of the day when he had Vihari edge one where the ball flew to mid-wicket region and was pouched by Marcus Harris.
Yet mid-wicket was the area where the Aussies sealed the game in their favour after Lyon had Pant caught in the region. The left-hander danced down the pitch to send the ball into oblivion but only manages to sky it towards Peter Handscomb.

Having India on the mat at 137/7, the duo of Starc and Pat Cummins wrapped things up pretty early as the Indians could add just three more runs to the total before eventually conceding the match by 146 runs.

Brief scores: Australia 326 and 243 all out beat India 287 and 140 all out (Ajinkya Rahane 30, Hanuma Vihari 28; Nathan Lyon 3/39) by 146 runs.