Despite Kohli’s valiant century, India lose first Test against Australia by 48 runs
India virtually snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, slumping to an agonising 48-run loss in the pulsating first Test against Australia despite captain Virat Kohli's gallant second successive hundred in the match here on Saturday.
Chasing 364, India were cruising along comfortably at 242/2 before the hosts staged a dramatic comeback to grab eight wickets for 73 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
The Indians folded for 315 in 87.1 overs with Kohli (141) and Murali Vijay (99) being the only ones to notch up noteworthy knocks. Kohli became only the second player in Indian Test history to score a century in both innings on his debut as captain but the stupendous feat was completely overshadowed by the shockingly inept performance by his other batting colleagues, who seemed bent on committing harakiri.
Off-spinner Nathan lyon was the pick of the Australian bowler as he exploited the rough on the track to good effect to finish with figures for 7/152 for an overall haul of 12 wickets in the match. lyon was adjudged Man of the Match for his superlative effort.
The result will come as a huge disappointment for the Indians, who virtually lost the match in the very last session when eight wickets fell in quick succession. Kohli was left to rue yet another of India's infamous batting collapses after putting the team in a rather comfortable position right up till tea with a career-best knock.
For Kohli, it was his eighth career hundred even though he was left a disappointed man on his debut as captain. He got good support from Murali Vijay who was unlucky, missing out on what could have been his fifth Test hundred by just one run. Kohli's knock of 141 runs came off 175 balls and was laced with 16 fours and a six adding to his first-innings' knock of 115 runs.
This was after Australia had declared at their overnight score of 290/5. They had scored 517/7d in their first innings to which India had replied with 444 runs in their first attempt.
The last session began with Kohli and Vijay raising visions of an Indian win. They carried on from where they left off before the break, attacking the spinner and playing cautiously against the pacers. In the 69th over of the innings, Kohli reached his eighth Test hundred off 135 balls, sparking his customary wild celebrations.
There were more celebrations anticipated in the next over as Vijay was a solitary run away from an immaculate and richly deserved hundred, but it was not to be. He went for a back-foot flick but missed the ball completely to be out lBW. He scored 99 runs off 234 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes. That opened the floodgates as India lost their last eight wickets for 73 runs, collapsing from 242/3 to 315 all out. Ajinkya Rahane (0) was given out wrongly, caught at short leg but replays showed there was no bat involved.
Rohit Sharma (6) looked clumsy and uncomfortable in the middle under intense pressure and after playing a few sweep shots against lyon, was caught brilliantly at backward short leg by David Warner as the ball looped off his glove.
Wriddhiman Saha (13) hit a couple of lusty blows but went too far against lyon, as one turned in sharply from the rough to bowl him through the gate. Thereafter it was down to Kohli to soldier along alone and try to get India to the finish line. But even as Australia delayed the new ball, he went after lyon for a big hit and was caught in the deep, not believing for some time that he was dismissed. Mohammad Shami (5), Ishant Sharma (1) and Varun Aaron (1) had no answers to the hosts' push for victory thereafter and they folded up without much fight.