<p>A wily Ravichandran Ashwin blew away a panic-stricken Australia with a fifer as India dismantled visitors' second innings in a single session to win the opening Test by a comprehensive innings and 132 run-margin, here Saturday.</p>.<p>After taking a massive 223-run first innings lead, India decimated Australia for just 91 in 32.3 overs with the Test match finishing inside three days at VCA stadium in Jamtha.</p>.<p>It's rare that an Australian innings folds inside one session.</p>.<p>After Axar Patel's career-best 84 and Mohammed Shami's entertaining 37 took India to a commanding first innings total of 400, Ashwin (5/37) literally mauled the Australians with the new ball, taking his 31st five-wicket haul in Test cricket.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/jadeja-fined-for-applying-cream-on-swollen-index-finger-without-permission-from-umpires-1190203.html" target="_blank">Jadeja fined for applying cream on swollen index finger without permission from umpires</a></strong></p>.<p>The Australian batters once again made the cardinal mistake of playing the pitch rather than the bowler and looked utterly confused on whether to defend or attack.</p>.<p>The Indian innings showed that demons were in the minds of Australian batters and not in the 22-yard strip.</p>.<p>The intent was to be positive but even with all the simulated training sessions, it was always going to be difficult to read Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja (2/34), latter playing the second fiddle this time.</p>.<p>They didn't have slightest clue which one was turning and which one was coming straight.</p>.<p>Usman Khawaja (5) after hitting a boundary was lured with a tossed up off-break outside his off-stump and his half slash-half drive effort went into Virat Kohli's hands in the slips.</p>.<p>Marnus Labuschagne (17) hit a few boundaries but when Jadeja flighted one which turned a shade after pitching, the right-hander premeditatedly rocked on to the back-foot rather than coming on the front-foot.</p>.<p>The result was an easy leg-before decision.</p>.<p>David Warner's (10) stay was struggle and after he charged Ashwin to get two boundaries, Ashwin bowled a slider and he wasn't half forward this time and got rapped on the pads.</p>.<p>Matt Renshaw was then trapped on the backfoot and right-hander Peter Handscomb got a classical off-break which would have disturbed the timber anyway. Alex Carey for the second time went for a non-existent sweep shot and perished.</p>.<p>Steve Smith could only helplessly watch as wickets fell like nine pins at the other end. He tried delaying the inevitable without much success.</p>.<p>Mohammed Shami (2/13), after a solid batting show put the final nail in the Australian coffin by trapping Scott Boland.</p>.<p>Earlier, Axar Patel's resolute 84 and Shami's entertaining 37 gave India a massive 223-run first innings lead. The hosts posted 400 by third day lunch session after resuming the day at 321 for seven.</p>.<p>They wouldn't have envisaged that Australia had lost it in their minds even before they came out to bat for the second time.</p>.<p>India had practically out-batted Australia on a track which the visiting media alleged was "doctored".</p>.<p>Jadeja (70) and Patel began the proceedings but the former did not last long as he shouldered arms to a Murphy delivery that was fired in from an angle and crashed on to the stumps.</p>.<p>The pitch didn't change its character much and it remained a slow turner where any batter, ready to grind, would get runs.</p>.<p>Lunch was taken when Indian innings ended.</p>.<p>Shami, who was dropped on 6 by Boland at long-on off Nathan Lyon, decided to launch a swift counter-attack on opposition best bowler Todd Murphy (7/124).</p>.<p>He hit the bespectacled off-spinner for three sixes -- a slog sweep over mid-wicket, a flat six over long-off and monstrous hit over long-on -- apart from a couple of boundaries during his 47 ball stay.</p>.<p>Adding 50-plus runs in just over an hour (65 minutes) was laudable and Patel on his part gave Shami bulk of the strike.</p>.<p>If Australia had any chance of wrapping it up, Boland's goof up proved costly as Shami made them pay dearly.</p>.<p>While Murphy has been impressive on debut, Lyon's (1/126) performance has been disappointing to say the least as his bowling lacked the bite.</p>.<p>Almost all the Indian batters found it easy to defend the veteran off-spinner off the back-foot.</p>.<p>Once Shami was dismissed going for his fourth maximum off Murphy, Patel decided to attack and lofted the debutant straight into the sightscreen for his first six.</p>.<p>His and India's innings ended when he was bowled by rival skipper Pat Cummins.</p>
<p>A wily Ravichandran Ashwin blew away a panic-stricken Australia with a fifer as India dismantled visitors' second innings in a single session to win the opening Test by a comprehensive innings and 132 run-margin, here Saturday.</p>.<p>After taking a massive 223-run first innings lead, India decimated Australia for just 91 in 32.3 overs with the Test match finishing inside three days at VCA stadium in Jamtha.</p>.<p>It's rare that an Australian innings folds inside one session.</p>.<p>After Axar Patel's career-best 84 and Mohammed Shami's entertaining 37 took India to a commanding first innings total of 400, Ashwin (5/37) literally mauled the Australians with the new ball, taking his 31st five-wicket haul in Test cricket.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/jadeja-fined-for-applying-cream-on-swollen-index-finger-without-permission-from-umpires-1190203.html" target="_blank">Jadeja fined for applying cream on swollen index finger without permission from umpires</a></strong></p>.<p>The Australian batters once again made the cardinal mistake of playing the pitch rather than the bowler and looked utterly confused on whether to defend or attack.</p>.<p>The Indian innings showed that demons were in the minds of Australian batters and not in the 22-yard strip.</p>.<p>The intent was to be positive but even with all the simulated training sessions, it was always going to be difficult to read Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja (2/34), latter playing the second fiddle this time.</p>.<p>They didn't have slightest clue which one was turning and which one was coming straight.</p>.<p>Usman Khawaja (5) after hitting a boundary was lured with a tossed up off-break outside his off-stump and his half slash-half drive effort went into Virat Kohli's hands in the slips.</p>.<p>Marnus Labuschagne (17) hit a few boundaries but when Jadeja flighted one which turned a shade after pitching, the right-hander premeditatedly rocked on to the back-foot rather than coming on the front-foot.</p>.<p>The result was an easy leg-before decision.</p>.<p>David Warner's (10) stay was struggle and after he charged Ashwin to get two boundaries, Ashwin bowled a slider and he wasn't half forward this time and got rapped on the pads.</p>.<p>Matt Renshaw was then trapped on the backfoot and right-hander Peter Handscomb got a classical off-break which would have disturbed the timber anyway. Alex Carey for the second time went for a non-existent sweep shot and perished.</p>.<p>Steve Smith could only helplessly watch as wickets fell like nine pins at the other end. He tried delaying the inevitable without much success.</p>.<p>Mohammed Shami (2/13), after a solid batting show put the final nail in the Australian coffin by trapping Scott Boland.</p>.<p>Earlier, Axar Patel's resolute 84 and Shami's entertaining 37 gave India a massive 223-run first innings lead. The hosts posted 400 by third day lunch session after resuming the day at 321 for seven.</p>.<p>They wouldn't have envisaged that Australia had lost it in their minds even before they came out to bat for the second time.</p>.<p>India had practically out-batted Australia on a track which the visiting media alleged was "doctored".</p>.<p>Jadeja (70) and Patel began the proceedings but the former did not last long as he shouldered arms to a Murphy delivery that was fired in from an angle and crashed on to the stumps.</p>.<p>The pitch didn't change its character much and it remained a slow turner where any batter, ready to grind, would get runs.</p>.<p>Lunch was taken when Indian innings ended.</p>.<p>Shami, who was dropped on 6 by Boland at long-on off Nathan Lyon, decided to launch a swift counter-attack on opposition best bowler Todd Murphy (7/124).</p>.<p>He hit the bespectacled off-spinner for three sixes -- a slog sweep over mid-wicket, a flat six over long-off and monstrous hit over long-on -- apart from a couple of boundaries during his 47 ball stay.</p>.<p>Adding 50-plus runs in just over an hour (65 minutes) was laudable and Patel on his part gave Shami bulk of the strike.</p>.<p>If Australia had any chance of wrapping it up, Boland's goof up proved costly as Shami made them pay dearly.</p>.<p>While Murphy has been impressive on debut, Lyon's (1/126) performance has been disappointing to say the least as his bowling lacked the bite.</p>.<p>Almost all the Indian batters found it easy to defend the veteran off-spinner off the back-foot.</p>.<p>Once Shami was dismissed going for his fourth maximum off Murphy, Patel decided to attack and lofted the debutant straight into the sightscreen for his first six.</p>.<p>His and India's innings ended when he was bowled by rival skipper Pat Cummins.</p>