Steve Smith conceded that India’s 2-1 series triumph, their fourth consecutive victory by a similar margin since 2017, was a fair result, referencing an ‘hour of madness’ on the third morning in New Delhi that undermined his side’s challenge.

One hour of madness

That hour of madness was when Australia slumped from their overnight 61 for one, and an overall lead of 62, to 113 all out with a series of barely believable sweep shots on a track of low bounce. Accepting the gift with grateful hands, India surged to a comfortable six-wicket win to open up an unbeaten 2-0 advantage.