India faces humiliating defeat at the hands of Australia in the 1st Test match

Pune: Dream spell of Steve O’Keefe stopped India’s dream run of the season handing it a crushing defeat of 333 runs in first cricket Test matches against Australia on Saturday.

O’Keefe with the match figures of 12 for 70 ran through the second Indian inning like in the first, bundling out the hosts at 107 on third day of the match played at Maharashtra Cricket Association ground here.

Earlier, resuming from overnight score of 143 for 4, Australia’s second inning at 285 giving a stiff target of 441 on a vicious pitch. In reply, India could not resist the spin of O’ Keefe ably supported by Lyon (4 for 53) with Cheteshwar Pujara (31) offering semblance of some resistance by top scoring.

Australia leads the four-Tet match series 1-0 while the next match to be played at Chinnaswamy stadium at Bengaluru from March 4 next.

It was one of the most pathetic batting performances by Team India in the recent times facing a stunning defeat after unbeaten run of 19 test matches.

Winning the toss, Australia had opted to bat on a pitch which was turning square from the day 1. The Indian batting which is supposed to very good against the spin scummed to the guile of spin duo of O’ Keefe and Lyon in both the innings. The failure of Indian batting could be gauged from the fact that in both the innings only one fifty was scored by Lokesh Rahul.

Australia continued its dominant show in the second inning with skipper Smith scoring his 16th ton and team putting 285 on the scorecard. Smith, however, was dropped thrice in his three figure knock.

Steve O’Keefe has been given Man of the Match for picking 12 wickets.

Skipper Kohli, after the match, admitted that this is India's 'worst batting display in the last two years.'