Struggling Australia returned to the five-Test series against India with a 10-wicket win at their lucky hunting ground in Adelaide on Sunday to regain the lead in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.

The hosts had suffered a resounding defeat against a weakened Indian side in their series opener in Perth, denting the pride of the reigning WTC champions.

However, led by their inspirational captain Pat Cummins, Australia defeated a packed India in just over two days, boosted by the return of their captain Rohit Sharma and batsman Shubman Gill, to level the series 1-1.

Mitchell Starc threatened with the pink ball and broke India’s back with his first innings of 6-48 at the venue where Australia now boasts a perfect 8-0 record in day-night Tests.

His victims included Perth centurions Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli.

Cummins led by example in the second innings, taking 5-57 and powering through the lower order, but it was the near run-a-ball 140 from India’s nemesis Travis Head that proved crucial.

Head had hit match-winning hundreds against India in the WTC and 50-overs World Cup finals last year and it was the familiar sight of the left-hander once again lashing out at the Indian bowlers.

“Another one of those momentum shifts,” Cummins said in his assessment of Head’s swing to the batter’s home field.

“The game could have gone either way when he went out to bat and he just took the game out of their hands.”

Australia will also be pleased with the way opener Nathan McSweeney batted in just his second Test, particularly his combative 39 in the first innings.

Number three, Marnus Labuschagne, also showed signs of regaining his form in patient 64.

After the defeat in Perth, Australia’s dominant win in Adelaide will significantly brighten the mood in the home camp before they head to Brisbane for the third Test on December 14th.

“We lost a friendly last week and were apparently the worst friendly team ever,” said Labuschagne.

“This week we finished the third day of the series 1-1, so we know what’s coming.”

Let drought run

The tourists’ disillusioning defeat in Adelaide will dampen the euphoria that prevailed in the Indian camp after Perth.

Rohit’s drought seems to show no end even after he dropped to the middle order where he scored three and six points.

The Indian captain has scored just one half-century and eight single-figure scores in his last 12 Test innings, including a duck against New Zealand in Pune.

It was a batting capitulation by India in Adelaide, lasting just 81 overs over two innings, with none of their batters managing a half-century.

In the absence of Mohammed Shami, who is playing cricket in India after recovering from an ankle injury but is not yet considered Test fit, India’s bowling seemed too reliant on the genius of Jasprit Bumrah.

India will be tempted to swap Rohit and opener KL Rahul in the batting order in Brisbane.

“We are really looking forward to it,” Rohit said about the third Test.

“We just want to go out and think about what we did right in Perth and also what we did the last time we were here.”