O'Keefe 12 spins Australia to 333-run win
When the dust settled on the third afternoon of the first Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, Steve O’Keefe had equaled his first-innings figures of 6 for 35, and Australia, who had set India a mammoth 441 to win, had romped home by 333 runs – its second-biggest victory (by runs) on Indian soil.
Steven Smith’s 18th Test century, in just his 51st Test, was the glue as Australia added a further 142 to its overnight 143 for 4 in an extended morning session that saw 41 overs in 135 minutes. With Mitchell Starc contributing another cameo and Matthew Wade also chipping in, the target that India would have to overhaul went from plausible to nearly impossible. Few though could have predicted that it would go down so quickly, with the second innings (33.5 overs) lasting 38 balls fewer than the first.
Another hope of India making a real fist of the chase was extinguished in the first six overs. M Vijay was trapped in front by an O’Keefe delivery that skidded straight on, and Nathan Lyon rapped KL Rahul on the pads. On both occasions, the umpires lifted the dreaded finger. Both batsmen reviewed, futilely, leaving their teammates with no recourse to DRS.
A 31-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara briefly lifted the spirits of a 15,763-strong holiday crowd. Kohli would have been out had Smith opted to review a leg-before appeal from O’Keefe that had been turned down – the ball struck the pad first – but as it was, Australia didn’t have long to wait for the prize wicket.
O’Keefe darted one in outside off stump, and Kohli shouldered arms, playing for turn that wasn’t there. The off stump was uprooted. Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane then played a few attacking strokes to try and disperse the field, but with so many runs to bank on, there was no need for Smith to go on the defensive.
After a 30-run stand, another Indian mistake gave Australia the breakthrough, with Rahane scooping O’Keefe to cover. R Ashwin tried to play O’Keefe with bat and pad close together, and this time Smith reviewed when the appeal was turned down. On the stroke of tea, a slider from O’Keefe trapped Wriddhiman Saha in front. And after that, it was all over in a jiffy.
Pujara, who top scored with 31, was befuddled by the straighter one. After that, Lyon got in on the act, packing off Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma and Jayant Yadav in quick succession as the curtain came down 19 minutes after tea.
In truth, the damage had been done much earlier, with India’s fielding letting it down as it had done on the second afternoon. The home side squandered an opportunity to run out Smith off the third ball of the day, and Rahane then failed to grab a thick edge off a batsman who had already been reprieved thrice on the second day.
Mitchell Marsh struck Ashwin for a couple of fours, but was then out nicking Jadeja behind. And then, India’s lack of available reviews – it had burned them both in minutes on day two – came back to haunt it as a vociferous appeal from Jadeja against Smith was turned down. Smith was on 73 at the time, and replays suggested it had been pad before bat.
Wade then edged Umesh Yadav behind and was given not out, but India's frustration was partly doused when he nicked off four balls later. But Starc came out to smash two fours and three big sixes, giving Smith company as he pushed the ball to deep cover to bring up a momentous hundred.
Smith was finally trapped in front by Jadeja, and Starc holed out to Ashwin, but by then the lead had swelled beyond 400. Ashwin finished with 4 for 119, and Jadeja with 3 for 65, but on this occasion, a visiting spinner, one playing only his fifth Test, stole their thunder. O’Keefe’s 12 for 70 were the best figures ever for a touring spinner in India, putting in the shade luminaries like Richie Benaud and Hedley Verity.
For Australia, this was a first Test win in India since 2004, and it ended a run of nine straight losses in Asia. For India, the 19-match unbeaten run is over. And how.