Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels Rohit Sharma led India can very well complete a 4-0 clean sweep especially after taking 2-0 lead. India beat the Pat Cummins led Australia in Nagpur and Delhi within three days.
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 here on Sunday.
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.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he said:
“I thought the Australians were very brave in the evening session of the second day and were also in an equal position after one innings. But then, they totally lost their way.
“Coming back from it mentally is going to be very, very difficult. You don’t have to do it just once, but twice. On that basis, you’d have to say India have a big chance of winning the series 4-0.”
Notably, Australia gained a crucial 62-run lead and lost just a single wicket at stumps on Day 2. However, the side crumbled on the third day, losing nine wickets in the morning session and were bowled out for 113 runs.
The hosts chased down the target of 115 runs comfortably with six wickets to spare. With the win, India have retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The win was India’s 100th against Australia across formats. The third Test will be played in Indore from March 1.
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.
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