Unheralded left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe grabbed a sensational match-haul of 12 wickets as a sloppy India slumped to a humiliating 333-run defeat inside three days in the first Test against Australia in Pune, on Saturday.
Australia set a daunting target of 441, riding on captain Steve Smith's batting masterclass on a rank turner, before they skittled out the hapless hosts for a paltry 107 in 33.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
The embarrassing defeat also ended India's unbeaten streak of 19 Tests with the last defeat coming against England at Kolkata in 2012.
The 32-year-old O'Keefe did the star turn once again with identical figures of six for 35, while Nathan Lyon claimed four for 35 as the two spinners picked up all the 10 wickets to fall in the Indian second innings.
It was a total disaster for the World No.1 Test team, who were simply outclassed in all departments of the game and they further compounded their miseries with atrocious shot selection, shoddy fielding and poor referrals.
Captain Virat Kohli had a rare bad Test match where he had scores 0 and 13 in both innings of the game as India collectively posted their lowest aggregate for a home Test match and ended up suffering their second biggest defeat at home in terms of runs.
Kohli was dismissed in the second innings shouldering arms to an angled delivery from O'Keefe which dashed India's minuscule hopes of a miraculous comeback.
As many as six Indian batsmen failed to reach double figures with only Cheteshwar Pujara showing some stomach for fight with a score of 31.
After Smith's superb 109 -- his 18th Test ton on a spiteful pitch -- there was no comeback for India as both openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay wasted the two DRS review after being given out LBW by the on-field umpires.
The Indian batsmen, similar to the first innings, had no clue on how to tackle 32-year-old O'Keefe, who had his finest hour in international cricket.
Neither could they properly negotiate off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who claimed four for 53, as both the spinners made life miserable for the Indian batsmen.
In fact, the Aussie spinners showed how to bowl on a turner something that was lacking in Ravichandran Ashwin (match figures of seven for 182), Ravindra Jadeja (match haul of five for 139) and Jayant Yadav (two for 101).
After the 7/11 debacle in the first innings, the second innings saw India lose six wickets for eight runs.
Earlier, Australia -- having taken a commanding first innings lead of 155 by scoring 260 and then bundling out the hosts for a paltry 105 -- rode on captain Smith's lucky first-ever century on Indian soil (109) to make 285 before they were dismissed at the end of the first session which was extended.
Smith, given multiple lives, compiled his first hundred in this country and of the series itself as Australia tightened the noose around a dispirited and deflated India.
India crashed from 89 for five to 107 all out in under ten overs.
Vijay and Rahul both were trapped leg before, by O'Keefe and Lyon respectively and also foolishly decided to go in for DRS when both appeared to be caught plumb in front, leaving India without any DRS calls after 5.3 overs when they had slumped to 16 for two.
While Vijay was deceived by a straight ball, Rahul played back to be low on the pads and both were instantly given out before asking for DRS.
Kohli and No. 3 Pujara, who looked the most assured of the top order in handing vicious turn, took the score along to 47 when the India skipper, expecting the ball to turn, offered no shot only to see O'Keefe's arm delivery hold its line and hit the off-stump.
Rahane was out on the drive, caught by Lyon diving forward at short covers, to give O'Keefe his third wicket of the innings and ninth of the game.
And to make matters even more hopeless for the hosts, Ravichandran Ashwin was out leg before to O'Keefe after Australia took the DRS.
Saha was out leg before in the last over before tea to complete a miserable second session for the home team.
Australia, ahead by 155 runs on the first innings, were dismissed by the hosts for 285 in the extended first session.
The visitors added 142 runs in the extended opening session in 41 overs after commencing at the overnight 143 for 4 with Smith (59) and Mitchell Marsh (21) at the crease.
Smith curbed his natural attacking instincts to slowly and steadily inch his way to 109 in 255 minutes and 202 balls, inclusive of 11 fours, when he was trapped leg before by Ravindra Jadeja for his second wicket of the morning.
However, by the time of the visiting team’s skipper departure at 246 the Australian lead had swelled past the 400 mark.
Mitchell Starc, who made a whirlwind 61 in the first innings, once again took on the Indian bowlers as he struck three sixes and two fours in a quick-fire 30 off 31 balls before he was caught in the deep off Ravichandran Ashwin.
Jadeja sent back Marsh for 31 and Stephen O’Keefe for six to terminate the innings but after they had left India with a mammoth target to chase.
