India bowled out for 36, their lowest ever Test score in which NO batsman made double figures

With less than a year to go before Joe Root’s England head south in search of the Ashes, Australia’s bowlers sent them an unequivocal message by dismantling India for 36 at Adelaide.

It was their lowest ever total, undercutting 42 at Lord’s in 1974. And for the first time in Test history, all 11 batsmen plus extras failed to reach double figures in an innings, with opener Mayank Agarwal’s nine the highest score. In short, it was carnage.

The Australians had trailed by 53 on first innings, but took control as India resumed at nine for one on the third afternoon of their pink-ball day-night Test. 

Virat Kohli and India recorded their lowest ever innings score in their 88-year Test history against Australia in Adelaide

Kohli was dismissed for four as India were skittled for just 36 on day three of the first Test

It came after devastating bowling from Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins (second right), who dismissed Kohli after a fine catch from Cameron Green (centre)

They were soon in tatters at 19 for six, with Josh Hazlewood quickly completing figures of five for eight. Pat Cummins claimed four for 21, and ended the rout by hitting No 11 Mohammed Shami on the arm, forcing him to retire hurt.

Set 90 to win, Australia raced home for the loss of two wickets before the floodlights had even been switched on.

‘A few of the guys are going to realise their true characters and how they can step up for the side,’ said a shaken Indian captain, Virat Kohli. ‘I’m very confident that we will learn from this. I don’t think we have ever had a worse batting collapse than this, and it can only go up from here.’

Mayank Agarwal (left) top scored for the tourists with nine as they suffered humiliation

India lost four wickets in 29 balls while there score was still on 15 as their hopes were dashed

But it was Hazlewood who did the majority of the damage to decimate the Indian batting lineup

India, though, will have to fight back from 1-0 down in this four-match series without the services of Kohli, who will miss the last three Tests because of paternity leave. And he will fly home knowing that, at 188 for three on the opening day, his team ought to have taken the game by its scruff. Instead, Kohli was run out for 74 after a mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane – the first of 17 Indian wickets to tumble for just 92.

Hazlewood, who collected Australia’s cheapest five-for since 1946-47, described himself as a ‘bit stunned’, adding: ‘We just didn’t let up, really. It was one of those days when everything went to plan. We kept putting it in on that spot, and the nicks kept coming. It happened so quickly, it was over before we knew it.’

Five of the nicks were held by Australian captain and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who was named man of the match both for his glovework and his first-innings 73 not out. The second Test begins at Melbourne on Boxing Day.     

Hazlewood (left) took 5 for 8 and was well supported by Cummins (right) who took 4 for 21

Australia then knocked off the target of 90 with eight wickets to spare as Joe Burns made fifty

Kohli (left) will miss the rest of the series to attend the birth of his first child back in India

The visitors are also sweating on the fitness of Mohammed Shami after a blow to the forearm

 Kohli confirmed Shami has gone to hospital for scans but said he was in a lot of pain