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OTD In 2020: When Australia Humiliated Virat Kohli's India With 36 All-Out In Adelaide

Rajgeeta Yadav

Australia bowled out India for 36 [Source: ICC/X.com]Australia bowled out India for 36 [Source: ICC/X.com]

December 19, 2020, is a day etched in the minds of ICT fans for all the wrong reasons. During the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Team India recorded their lowest-ever total in Test cricket, being bowled out for just 36 runs in the pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide. This dismal performance handed the hosts an easy 8-wicket victory and a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

The Adelaide Test began with high hopes for Men In Blue. Captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat on a bright Adelaide day. However, Mitchell Starc struck early, dismissing Prithvi Shaw for a duck in the very first over. 

Despite the initial setback, Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara steadied the innings. Kohli then played a captain’s knock, scoring a solid 74, with Pujara (43) and Ajinkya Rahane (42) contributing crucial runs. India ended their first innings at 244.

India’s bowlers then turned the tide, with Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Umesh Yadav bundling Australia out for 191. Ashwin took four wickets, and India secured a lead of 53 runs going into the second innings.

India Collapse Against Australia’s Pace Duo

Day 3 started with India at 9/1, holding a 62-run lead. But what followed was a nightmare. The Australian pace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins wreaked havoc. Nightwatchman Bumrah fell early, and Pujara followed for a duck. The wickets kept tumbling, leaving India at 15/4.

Rahane and Kohli couldn’t rescue the team, with the skipper departing for just four runs. The lower order offered no resistance, with Hanuma Vihari scoring 8 and Wriddhiman Saha and Umesh Yadav contributing four runs each. Mohammed Shami retired hurt, and India’s innings ended at a shocking 36 runs. Hazlewood’s stunning spell of 5/8 and Cummins’ 4/21 destroyed the batting lineup.

Australia’s Comfortable Chase

Needing just 90 runs to win, Australia cruised to victory, with Joe Burns scoring an unbeaten 51 off 63 balls. The hosts sealed the match by 8 wickets.

While the Adelaide Test was a low point, India bounced back remarkably to win the series 2-1, retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The series win showcased India’s resilience and fighting spirit, but the memory of that 36 all-out remains one of the darkest days in Indian Test cricket history.