<p>Perth: Three weeks can be too long in cricket. On a muggy November 3 at the Wankhede Stadium, the Indian cricket team had plumbed to unseen depths after a first series whitewash at home involving three or more Tests. That it came against underdogs New Zealand, who had been blanked 2-0 in Sri Lanka before the Kiwis crossed over the seas to India, hurt them even more. </p><p>Cut to the present, on a warm Monday afternoon here, India had done the unprecedented, if not the unthinkable. While the writing was on the wall after Jasprit Bumrah and Co had left Australia's mammoth 534-run chase, which resumed at 12/3, in disarray with three quick blows on the third evening of the opening Test, when the moment eventually arrived at local time 3.47 pm, it was a surreal experience. The joy and relief enveloped them just as did the gusts of cold winds sweeping across the stadium.</p>.Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Virat Kohli does not need us, we need him, says Bumrah.<p>The moment debutant Harshit Rana castled Alex Carey to signal an emphatic 295-run win, India's biggest in terms of runs in Australia and second biggest overall, stand-in skipper ran to pick up a stump as a souvenir; the high-fives and warm hugs followed. The scenes at the largely empty Perth Stadium couldn't have been starker from the ones witnessed in Mumbai early this month. </p><p>In handing Australia their first defeat in five Tests at the Perth Stadium, India had taken a big step at redemption. Having slipped to second spot in the World Test Championship rankings, India replaced Australia (57.59) at the top with 61.11 percentage points. However, the tourists, who were joined by regular skipper Rohit Sharma at the ground, know the job isn't even half done. Theoretically, they still need to win three more games to ensure their place in the WTC final without worrying about other results. But their quest for four wins has begun in earnest.</p><p>When Australia commenced their chase on the fourth morning, it was just a matter of when rather than if. And when Mohammed Siraj (3/51) sent Usman Khawaja early in the piece, and then Steve Smith after some resistance, the game appeared headed for a quick finish before India's bugbear Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47) combined to baulk a tiring Indian attack which was operating with a soft Kookaburra ball that usually loses its sting once the shine goes off and the seam becomes less pronounced. But all along, everyone knew, they were only delaying the inevitable. Once again, it needed the brilliance of Bumrah to end Head's sparkling stay in the middle. And it wasn't long before India completed the rout.</p><p>The win was special for more than one reason. Written off before the start, India were rolled over for a paltry 150 in the first innings, giving credence to naysayers. Remarkably, however, they turned the tables around as multiple heroes emerged to herald one of India's seminal moments in their cricketing history.</p><p>The much-maligned KL Rahul beautifully set the base, Yashasvi Jaiswal produced perhaps the best Test innings of his fledgling career in trying circumstances while Virat Kohli's 30th Test ton lifted the entire team. Among bowlers, Mohammed Siraj appeared to have rediscovered his mojo and Rana lived up to the hype in his debut Test. But none had more impact than Bumrah. He was brilliant with the ball in hand and spot on with his tactics as a skipper. The 30-year-old was rightly adjudged the player of the match. </p><p><strong>SCORE BOARD</strong> INDIA (I Innings): 150 all out AUSTRALIA (I Innings): 104 all out INDIA (II Innings): 487/6 declared AUSTRALIA (II Innings; O/n: 12/3): McSweeney lbw Bumrah 0 (4b 2m) Khawaja c Pant b Siraj 4 (13b 29m) Cummins c Kohli b Siraj 2 (8b 11m) Labuschagne lbw Bumrah 3 (5b 6m) Smith c Pant b Siraj 17(60 92m) Head c Pant b Bumrah 89 (101b 153m 8x4) Marsh b Nitish 47 (67b 93m 3x4 2x6) Carey b Rana 36(58b 103m 2x4) Starc c Jorel b Washington 12(35b 46m) Lyon b Washington 0 (2b 1m) Hazlewood (not out) 4 (10b 25m 1x4) Extras (B-4 LB-2 NB-11 W-6) 24 Total (all out 58.4 overs) 238 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (McSweeney) 2-9 (Cummins) 3-12 (Labuschagne) 4-17 (Khawaja) 5-79 (Smith) 6-161 (Head) 7-182 (Marsh) 8-227 (Starc) 9-227 (Lyon). Bowling: Bumrah 12-1-42-3 (w-1 nb-5) Siraj 14-2-51-3 (w-1 nb-1) Rana 13.4-1-69-1 (nb-2) Washington 15-0-48-2 Nitish 4-0-21-1 (nb-3). Result: India won by 295 runs Series: India lead 5-match series 1-0 PoM: Jasprit Bumrah Next Test: Dec 6-10 (Adelaide)</p>
<p>Perth: Three weeks can be too long in cricket. On a muggy November 3 at the Wankhede Stadium, the Indian cricket team had plumbed to unseen depths after a first series whitewash at home involving three or more Tests. That it came against underdogs New Zealand, who had been blanked 2-0 in Sri Lanka before the Kiwis crossed over the seas to India, hurt them even more. </p><p>Cut to the present, on a warm Monday afternoon here, India had done the unprecedented, if not the unthinkable. While the writing was on the wall after Jasprit Bumrah and Co had left Australia's mammoth 534-run chase, which resumed at 12/3, in disarray with three quick blows on the third evening of the opening Test, when the moment eventually arrived at local time 3.47 pm, it was a surreal experience. The joy and relief enveloped them just as did the gusts of cold winds sweeping across the stadium.</p>.Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Virat Kohli does not need us, we need him, says Bumrah.<p>The moment debutant Harshit Rana castled Alex Carey to signal an emphatic 295-run win, India's biggest in terms of runs in Australia and second biggest overall, stand-in skipper ran to pick up a stump as a souvenir; the high-fives and warm hugs followed. The scenes at the largely empty Perth Stadium couldn't have been starker from the ones witnessed in Mumbai early this month. </p><p>In handing Australia their first defeat in five Tests at the Perth Stadium, India had taken a big step at redemption. Having slipped to second spot in the World Test Championship rankings, India replaced Australia (57.59) at the top with 61.11 percentage points. However, the tourists, who were joined by regular skipper Rohit Sharma at the ground, know the job isn't even half done. Theoretically, they still need to win three more games to ensure their place in the WTC final without worrying about other results. But their quest for four wins has begun in earnest.</p><p>When Australia commenced their chase on the fourth morning, it was just a matter of when rather than if. And when Mohammed Siraj (3/51) sent Usman Khawaja early in the piece, and then Steve Smith after some resistance, the game appeared headed for a quick finish before India's bugbear Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47) combined to baulk a tiring Indian attack which was operating with a soft Kookaburra ball that usually loses its sting once the shine goes off and the seam becomes less pronounced. But all along, everyone knew, they were only delaying the inevitable. Once again, it needed the brilliance of Bumrah to end Head's sparkling stay in the middle. And it wasn't long before India completed the rout.</p><p>The win was special for more than one reason. Written off before the start, India were rolled over for a paltry 150 in the first innings, giving credence to naysayers. Remarkably, however, they turned the tables around as multiple heroes emerged to herald one of India's seminal moments in their cricketing history.</p><p>The much-maligned KL Rahul beautifully set the base, Yashasvi Jaiswal produced perhaps the best Test innings of his fledgling career in trying circumstances while Virat Kohli's 30th Test ton lifted the entire team. Among bowlers, Mohammed Siraj appeared to have rediscovered his mojo and Rana lived up to the hype in his debut Test. But none had more impact than Bumrah. He was brilliant with the ball in hand and spot on with his tactics as a skipper. The 30-year-old was rightly adjudged the player of the match. </p><p><strong>SCORE BOARD</strong> INDIA (I Innings): 150 all out AUSTRALIA (I Innings): 104 all out INDIA (II Innings): 487/6 declared AUSTRALIA (II Innings; O/n: 12/3): McSweeney lbw Bumrah 0 (4b 2m) Khawaja c Pant b Siraj 4 (13b 29m) Cummins c Kohli b Siraj 2 (8b 11m) Labuschagne lbw Bumrah 3 (5b 6m) Smith c Pant b Siraj 17(60 92m) Head c Pant b Bumrah 89 (101b 153m 8x4) Marsh b Nitish 47 (67b 93m 3x4 2x6) Carey b Rana 36(58b 103m 2x4) Starc c Jorel b Washington 12(35b 46m) Lyon b Washington 0 (2b 1m) Hazlewood (not out) 4 (10b 25m 1x4) Extras (B-4 LB-2 NB-11 W-6) 24 Total (all out 58.4 overs) 238 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (McSweeney) 2-9 (Cummins) 3-12 (Labuschagne) 4-17 (Khawaja) 5-79 (Smith) 6-161 (Head) 7-182 (Marsh) 8-227 (Starc) 9-227 (Lyon). Bowling: Bumrah 12-1-42-3 (w-1 nb-5) Siraj 14-2-51-3 (w-1 nb-1) Rana 13.4-1-69-1 (nb-2) Washington 15-0-48-2 Nitish 4-0-21-1 (nb-3). Result: India won by 295 runs Series: India lead 5-match series 1-0 PoM: Jasprit Bumrah Next Test: Dec 6-10 (Adelaide)</p>