India's Greatest Test Victories: The Chinnaswamy Rout

 In 2016-17, India hosted the Australian cricket team in a four-match Test series. The series was hotly contested, with both sides displaying excellent cricketing skills. However, the series' highlight was India's thrilling victory over Australia in the second Test, played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. India won the toss and elected to bowl first. 

After losing the first test miserably, the Indian batsmen were determined to put on a show and take control of the series. Unfortunately for them, on another rank turner, the batting would crumble for a paltry 189, giving Australia the upper hand in the third session of the day. KL Rahul scored almost half the team's runs with a valiant 90, as everybody around him was dismissed cheaply. Led by Nathan Lyon who would go on to take 8 wickets, the series looked lost for India. Even in home conditions, this was not a good test to win, and being down 1-0 in the series would make it even worse. This would be India's first series defeat since 2012 and would mean that India would once again concede the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In reply, the visitors made a solid start, with openers David Warner and Matt Renshaw putting on a century partnership. However, once the Indian spinners came into the attack, the Australian batsmen found it difficult to score runs. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking 6 wickets for 63 runs. Australia was eventually bowled out for 276. 

India got off to a shaky start, losing both their openers early. However, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane steadied the innings with a partnership of 118 runs. Pujara was the anchor of the innings, scoring a patient century. Rahane, on the other hand, played aggressively and scored a quickfire 52. India was eventually bowled out for 274, with the ever-consistent Josh Hazelwood picking up a 6-fer.

This was all it had boiled down to. By Lunch Day 4, the Australians had routed the Indian batting, setting themselves to score 188 in the last innings, and retain the Border Gavaskar trophy until the next series. If Australia won, it would be just the fifth-highest score ever to have been chased in the fourth innings in India, and the Australian camp was extremely confident in their chance to win. The spin twins of Ashwin and Jadeja had spluttered in the first innings, and there was no such development in the pitch to assume that they would prove to be effective.

A small but effective opening partnership of 22 in just 4 overs set the stage in motion for Australia, who looked like they were cruising to victory. Wickets fell at regular intervals, but nothing too alarming meant that Australia was steadying their ship at 101/5, just 77 runs away from victory. Unfortunately for them, that would be the last moment when they would even come close to winning the series. A spin bowling masterclass from Ravi Ashwin would bind Australia in their own thread, as they would go on to lose their last 5 wickets for just 9 runs. Joy turned to agony as each of those wickets fell, and the helpless coaches watched on from their dressing room as Ashwin continued to send one batsman after the other into the dugout. The game would end with Ravi Ashwin taking 6-41 and spearheading an unbelievable comeback to level the series 1-1 and make sure that India still had time to win the Border Gavaskar Trophy.