India complete brilliant comeback, draw level 1-1 in 4-match series

Bengaluru: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed six wickets to lead India to a sensational 75-run win against Australia in a fiery second Test in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Australia, needing 188 for victory, were bowled out for just 112 in their second innings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as India levelled the series 1-1.

Josh Hazlewood took 6-67 as India's lower-order collapsed to be all out for 274 on day four, setting Australia a target of 188 to win the second Test and take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

India were bank on overnight batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane as they looked to push Australia out of the second Test on Day 3 here on Monday. India have managed to deny Australia a chance to run through the Indian batting line-up and secured a 126-run lead over Steve Smith-led side at stumps on Day 3 with six wickets still in hand.

India resumed Tuesday at 213-4 with Cheteshwar Pujara not out 79 and Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 40. The fifth-wicket pair gave some momentum back to India with a 118-run stand but the departure of Rahane for 52 triggered a run of four wickets in nine balls.

Mitchell Starc sparked the slide when he trapped Rahane lbw and bowled Karun Nair on consecutive bals in the 85th over. Hazlewood secured a five-wicket haul with two wickets in four balls. He had Pujara out, edging high on his bat to Mitch Marsh at gully, for a gritty 92, and bowled Ravi Ashwin (4).

Hazlewood returned to have Umesh Yadav (1) caught by David Warner at mid-off.

Wriddhiman Saha finished unbeaten on 20 - his first two scoring shots were a four and a six - and combined with Ishant Sharma (6) to lift the total from 258-9 to 274 all out. Every run was important, with the pitch expected to keep deteriorating.

Pujara had some luck, with a chance going to ground right in front of a fielder early on day four and having an lbw decision overturned on review, but his 221-ball innings kept India in contention.

Australia had a surprising 333-run win in the first test Pune and had the upper hand in the second test, despite losing the toss, after bowling India out for 189 on the opening day at Bangalore. It was only the Pujara-Rahane partnership that gave India some real resistance, lifting the total from 120-4 to 238-5.

While veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon did all the damage in the innings - his 8-50 was the best innings figures for a visiting bowler in India - and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took 6-63 to contain Australia to 276 in reply - it was the pacemen who were most dangerous in the second innings.

Hazlewood took three wickets on day three, including the key wicket of skipper Virat Kohli for 15, and bowled a punishing line and length to regain control after Pujara and Rahane started to get away on day four.