NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Ravindra Jadeja thoroughly exposed a technically ill-equipped and mentally messed up Australian batting unit with a career-best seven for 42 as India won the second Test by six wickets to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in New Delhi on February 19, 2023.The Australian batters paid the price for some atrocious shot selection as Jadeja, who enjoyed a 10-wicket match haul, along with Ravichandran Ashwin (3/59) decimated the visitors in the morning session, bowling them out for 113 in 31.1 overs. The last nine wickets fell for 52 runs.KL Rahul (1) cut a sorry figure but Indian batters showed how to play spin as the target of 115 was completed in in 26.4 overs.Cheteshwar Pujara had something to cheer about on his 100th Test appearance as he remained unbeaten on 31 and fittingly hit the winning boundary. India have now put one foot in the final of the World Test Championship in England in June, having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four match series.The win was India’s 100th against Australia across formats. The third Test will be played in Indore from February 27.Starting the day at 61 for 1, Jadeja’s arm balls became a lethal weapon with as many as five Australian batters getting out trying to play sweep shots of deliveries that kept low on a typical third day Ferozshah Kotla track.Australia lost nine wickets for only 52 runs and it was not the pitch but the fear of unknown that led to their eventual downfall.Steve Smith, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carry, Pat Cummins and Matt Kuhnemann were all guilty of playing the ugly slog sweep and some tried non-existent reverse sweep off deliveries bowled on either middle or leg stump line.They were either bowled or adjudged leg before in the process as the deliveries started keeping low.Ashwin also played the supporting act to perfection as eight Australian batters failed to reach double figures save overnight pair of Travis Head (45) and Marnus Labschagne (35), who had briefly counter-attacked last evening with some degree of success.
