The Indian cricket team on Saturday suffered the ignominy of being restricted to its lowest ever total in Test cricket, collapsing to 36/9 in the terminated second innings against Australia on the third morning of the first Day/Night Test.
India’s earlier lowest score was 42 at the Lord’s in 1974 against England, known in Indian cricket parlance as “Summer of 42”.
After a decent 53-run first innings lead, India suffered a humiliating defeat with only 89 runs to defend.
At one stage, India were reduced to 26/8 and looked like equalling the lowest ever Test score (26 by New Zealand) but Hanuma Vihari’s boundary helped them evade entry into the dark pages of cricketing history.
India’s extraordinary collapse to 36 all out brought out a variety of reactions and here are some of them–
I woke up & saw the score 369. I couldn’t believe it.
Then i washed my eyes and saw the score 36/9.
I couldn’t believe it either & went back to sleep. 😳😳😳
Video aa rahi hai.#INDvAUS #INDvsAUSTest— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) December 19, 2020
The OTP to forget this is 49204084041 .#INDvsAUSTest
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 19, 2020
Wow!! What a bowling display that was from Pat Cummins & Josh Hazlewood here in Adelaide. Just outstanding. Have to feel for the Indian batsman as never saw that coming – it was one of those days where the batsman nicked everything & didn’t play and miss at all ! Unbelievable…
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) December 19, 2020
Congratulations to Josh Hazelwood on taking 200 Test Wickets. Intelligence combined with pace, bounce, control & consistency. So proud of you mate #fastbowler #FBC #200wickets #ausvind https://t.co/Eq5bqGVeD8
— Glenn McGrath (@glennmcgrath11) December 19, 2020
An amazing arvo of cricket as told by the Adelaide Oval scoreboard #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/nXtnuXBKTH
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 19, 2020
Same pitch. same day. India 27/8 Australia 47/0 and counting! #AUSvIND
— Gautam Bhimani (@gbhimani) December 19, 2020
Pitch has misbehaved slightly in only one of the 29 dismissals thus far. The one that kept low to Labuchange yesterday. #JustSaying #AusvInd
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 19, 2020
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 19, 2020
This is absurd
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 19, 2020
Unreal win by the lads today, bowlers what an effort today!! Simply unbelievable day of cricket. @joeburns441 hits winnings runs 👍👍 so good. So happy for you legend
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) December 19, 2020
Meanwhile, to make matters worse, star pacer Mohammed Shami’s series could well be over due to a wrist injury from a short ball from Pat Cummins, which could potentially be a fracture. Shami could not continue and the Indian innings was terminated at 36 for 9 in 21.2 overs.