Australia showed tremendous resolve to eke out a stunning victory over India in the final hour of the last day of the fourth Test against India in Melbourne to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series on Monday.
India seemed well on their way to securing a draw as they were cruising at 121-3, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (84) and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant (30) barely troubled by the Aussie bowling in pursuit of a 340-run target.
However, Pant, who had restrained himself up until then, went after part-time spinner Travis Head and was caught near deep mid wicket. That dismissal triggered a sensational collapse as India were bowled out for 155 in a little over 20 additional overs.
They lost seven wickets for 34 runs, with the Australian bowlers extracting pace and also turn on an up-and-down Melbourne pitch.
Australia now can't lose the series and are well placed to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final. South Africa are the other side who have qualified for the final next year.
Seamer Scott Boland was the star of the day once again, picking up 3-39, with captain Pat Cummins enjoying a sensational Test as he snared 3-28 to go with his three-wicket haul in the first innings and critical knocks of 49 and 41.
Spinner Nathan Lyon dismissed Mohammad Siraj to complete the 184-run victory.
While Cummins had a match to remember, his counterpart Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, was dismissed for a single digit score once again while fellow out-of-form veteran Virat Kohli was caught behind the wicket driving for the umpteenth time.
The series is almost certainly the last in whites for Rohit, while Kohli is also unlikely to play Tests for India much longer.
There is growing speculation that one or both could retire soon from Tests matches, or could even be asked by the selectors to step aside.
In the morning session, captain Cummins struck twice in an over and left-arm quick Mitchell Starc dismissed Kohli cheaply once again after Australia were bowled out for 234.
Cummins ended a cautious 25-run stand between Jaiswal and Rohit when the latter edged straight to Marsh at gully.
Five balls later, Cummins had his second victim when KL Rahul, forced to bat at one down, edged to Usman Khawaja in the slips.
An under-pressure Kohli was out for five trying to drive Starc, edging to Khawaja in the slips. Kohli has been dismissed in almost exactly the same fashion throughout the tour, in what is a clear sign of an incurable flaw in his batting.
From there, Jaiswal and Pant steadied the ship. A result looked a long way away when India resumed on 112-3 after lunch, with both left-handers looking well set and Australia employing spin.
However, Pant, who batted with composure for over 100 balls, swung wildly at spinner Head to be caught in the deep by a sprinting Mitchell Marsh.
That ended a 88-run partnership and set panic in the Indian camp.
The relentless Boland then had Ravindra Jadeja caught behind for two with a ball that kicked off the pitch and found his edge.
First innings hero Nitish Kumar Reddy could not pull his team out of trouble as he edged spinner Lyon to Steve Smith at slip.
Then came a moment of huge controversy as Jaiswal pulled at a ball from Cummins, with the Aussies appealing and then reviewing for a caught behind.
Replays showed a clear deviation off the bat but there was no evidence of an edge on 'Ultra Edge' technology. The TV umpire, however, decided to overturn the decision based on visual evidence.
Jaiswal initially refused to leave the crease, which attracted jeers from the crowd.
Akash Deep was also dismissed in similar fashion, caught by Head off pacer Boland with a thin edge deflecting off his pads.
Tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had shown application with the bat on previous occasions but crumbled under pressure. Both fell for ducks, with Lyon (2-37) securing victory with an hour remaining in play.
"Fantastic way to finish the week. I think it's been five days of fantastic cricket," Aussie pacer Starc said.
"There was always belief in the group. I think this has been a feature of this group for a number of years - this calmness and just go with the flow and adapt to what's thrown at us."
India captain Rohit said his team let the game slip away, especially in the second innings when they had the hosts tottering at 91-6 and allowed them to post 234.
"It's is pretty disappointing," said the opener. "It's not that we went with the intent of not putting up a fight. We wanted to fight till the end but unfortunately, couldn't do it.
"If you look at the overall Test match, we had our opportunities, we had our chances. We just didn't take them and we let Australia come back into the game when we had them 90 for six."
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
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Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
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Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
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