Despite a brilliant century by debutant captain Virat Kohli, India lost their last eight wickets for just 73 runs in the last session of the final day at Adelaide Oval to hand Australia a thrilling 48-run win.
On a day where the Indian batsmen dominated for the most part, offspinner Nathan Lyon bowled a nagging line perfectly while using the roughs on the pitch and finished with career-best match figures of 12/286 to break Indian hearts. After first two sessions of 105/2 and 100/0, India, needing 364 to win, were well placed at 242/2 when Lyon trapped Murali Vijay for 99, and from there on things changed dramatically for India. Ajinkya Rahane was given out incorrectly to Lyon and Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha failed to keep Kohli company, leaving him to carry a flagging innings. That he did quite superbly until he pulled a short ball from Lyon straight to Mitchell Marsh at deep midwicket, and from there the tail gave way.
His was an excellent innings - he became the first Indian and second batsman overall to score twin centuries in his first Test as captain - but alas this 141 will go down in history as having come in another India defeat - and the 14th overseas one since the tour of England in 2011. For India, Rohit and Saha have a lot of introspection to do. On a last-day pitch, the target was anyway going to be tough to get but a bit more caution and responsibility on their part would have given India a first 1-0 lead in Australia.
Rohit turned Lyon to leg slip for 6 and Saha, having just swatted two fours and a six, charged out to the last ball of the over and was bowled to give Lyon his 11th wicket. The end was swift from here, India bowled out for 315. It was a far cry from the situation at tea, when India were 205/2 and needing 159 in a minimum of 37 overs with Vijay on 85 and Kohli on 82.
The pair had come together at the fall of Cheteshwar Pujara for 21, edging Lyon to give Brad Haddin his second catch, and began their uphill task with plenty of promise. Kohli was alert to scoring opportunities and drove handsomely off the front foot, while consciously looking to offset Lyon by sweeping the ball - not a shot that comes naturally to him. Kohli's six off Lyon early in the second session best summed up India's approach in the tough chase. Lyon suddenly erred in length and send down a short ball, which Kohli rocked back and went aerial to, clearing cow corner comfortably. That six was a big statement of intent from the debutant Test captain. While Kohli maintained that attacking mode, Vijay was circumspect yet no less attractive and completed his second fifty of the match off 131 balls. To nullify Lyon, Vijay used his feet very well and frustrated the bowler.
Ultimately, however, Lyon had his say by dismissing both batsmen en route to the Man-of-the-Match award. Going to back to the Auckland Test in February, chasing 407 to win, India were on course at 324/6 with MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja well set but eventually the team lost the match by 40 runs. Such defeats are often hard to accept but Kohli has proved he is a man who puts his money where his mouth is. In the build-up to the series, he many times said that his team meant business in Australia and the Indians, despite being on the losing side, manifested that attitude in both innings. The second Test starts at December 17 at Brisbane.
Brief scores: Australia (517/7d & 290/5d) beat India 444 & 315 (Kohli 141, Vijay 99; Lyon 7/152) by 48 runs
