Rohit, Jadeja, Ashwin the heroes as India maul Australia by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur

If the first five sessions of the first Test match in Nagpur was about India's superior individual quality over Australia's honest efforts, the last session of Day 2 and the entire Day 3 was a testimony to the gulf between the two sides in these conditions. India simply had too many resources for Australia to even pose a challenge. The result was a pretty dominating innings and 132-run victory for India that also gave them a 1-0 lead in the four-match series that will play a pivotal role in deciding the finalists of the World Test Championship.

The game was not so heavily tilted towards India when they were 240 for 7 at one stage. But an 88-run stand for the 8th wicket between Ravindra Jadeja (70) and Axar Patel (84) and then a 52-run stand between Axar and Mohammed Shami (37) stretched India's first innings total to 400 and gave them a mammoth lead of 223 runs.

It was always going to be a mountain to climb for Australia in the second innings but the way they crumbled in just one session, getting bowled out for 91 in just 32.3 overs would give their management sleepless nights. There were no real demons on the pitch but it was enough for India's crafty spin attack led by Ashwin to run through the Australian batting unit.

The off-spinner completed his 31st five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He dismissed all the left-handers in Australia's top seven in an artistic display of spin-bowling on a third day's pitch that was offering turn and bounce.

Ashwin partnered Shami with the new ball and struck immediately. Usman Khawaja (5) was caught at slip going for an expansive cover drive. David Warner (10) survived a dropped catch at slip, but was trapped lbw soon after.

In between, Jadeja trapped Marnus Labuschagne (17) lbw. Two overs later, Ashwin did the same to Matt Renshaw (2) as Australia collapsed to 42-4 in 15.2 overs.

Smith provided some resistance from one end, but Ashwin was unstoppable. Peter Handscomb (6) was out next, also lbw. Australia was down to 52-5 in 17.2 overs.

Alex Carey (10) tried to reverse sweep his way out of trouble but inevitably fell to Ashwin, out lbw again, as the off-spinner completed his five-wicket haul.

Ashwin went off the attack but Australia’s downfall didn’t end. Pat Cummins (1) was caught behind off Jadeja, while Todd Murphy (2) was caught off Patel to make it 75-8.

Shami (2-13) bowled Nathan Lyon (8) to delay tea by another 30 minutes. Jadeja did bowl Smith off a no ball and so the match continued for another seven deliveries.

Scott Boland (0) was out lbw to Shami to end the Australian misery.

India had many heroes in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener. Rohit Sharma scored a magnificent century on Day 2 - his ninth in this format and first as captain, which also made him the first Indian captain to register centuries in all formats of the game.

Ravindra Jadeja put on an unbelievable performance with both bat and ball on his return to international cricket after five months. It was his 5/47 in the first innings that skittled Australia out for 177 after Pat Cummins won a crucial toss and opted to bat first.

Then it was Axar Patel with the bat. He picked up just one wicket with the ball but his 84-run knock at No.9 pushed Australia out of the game.

With the pitch on his side, Ashwin brought his A-game to the table in the second session on Saturday, literally ripping apart Australia's batting unit.

The two sides will meet again for the second Test match at New Delhi starting February 17.