Aussies defeat India by 9 wickets, enter World Test Championship final

Australia on Friday (March 3) scored an emphatic nine-wicket win over India, wrapping up the third Test in just over two days to secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final on a rank turner in Indore.

Travis Head (49) and Marnus Labuschagne (28) took the Aussies past the finish line after losing Usman Khawaja (0) in the very first over.

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India was bowled out for 163 in their second innings, leaving Australia with a target of only 76 runs. This the visitors easily achieved to win after being hammered in the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

Nathan Lyon

A leading architect of the Australian victory was seasoned off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who grabbed eight wickets in India’s second innings on day two of the match at Holkar Stadium.

This is India’s third loss in Tests at home in the last 10 years.

Bowled out for 109 in the first innings, India limited Australia to 197, conceding an 88-run lead. But the Indian batters failed to put up a fight in the second innings too.

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Lyon spun a web around them to return with excellent figures of 8-64.

India leads the four-match series 2-1 after winning in Nagpur and New Delhi.

Brief scores:

India 109 and 163

Australia: 197 and 78 for 1 in 18.5 overs (Travis Head 49 not out)

(With inputs from agencies)