India wins to end Australian streak
CRICKET: PERTH, Jan. 19 - India once again halted a record
Australian winning streak with a famous 72-run victory in the third Test
against Australia at the WACA Ground here Saturday.
Set 413 to win an unprecedented 17th Test in succession, Australia
were dismissed for 340 on the fourth day.
Although several batsmen scored, the home side never really
threatened to pull off what needed to be the second biggest run chase in
131 years of Test cricket.
Australia's previous Test defeat was against England during its
ill-fated Ashes campaign in August, 2005, at Trent Bridge.
Despite Saturday's victory, India still trails 2-1 in the four-Test
series and Australia has retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the
final Test to be played in Adelaide starting Thursday.
With Australian pair Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist fighting to
keep the chase alive, an inventive piece of captaincy by Anil Kumble
ensured India would win its first ever Test at the WACA.
Kumble's surprise decision to throw the ball to part-time spinner
Virender Sehwag just before tea proved masterful, as he claimed two
crucial wickets in his first eight balls.
The recalled opener broke the threatening sixth-wicket partnership
between Gilchrist and Clarke by bowling the former around his legs with
just his third ball.
It ended a 50-run stand between the pair, with the dangerous
Gilchrist back in the pavilion for 15.
In his next over, Sehwag (2-24) had Brett Lee caught at mid-off by
VVS Laxman for a duck as Australia slumped to 229 for seven.
Any hope the Australians had was extinguished when an advancing
Clarke was beaten by Kumble and stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 81.
Clarke was at the crease for 160 minutes and faced 134 balls, hitting
eight fours, but his departure left Australia on the brink of defeat at
253 for eight, needing 160 runs more.
There was a late flurry from tailenders Mitchell Johnson, who was
bowled by a Kumble no-ball and then dropped twice as he lashed out on
his way to an unbeaten 50, and Stuart Clark.
However, man-of-the-match Irfan Pathan (3-54) capped a fine return to
Test cricket when he had Clark caught behind for 32 to end an
entertaining 73-run partnership in 55 minutes consisting almost entirely
of leg-side slogs.
When RP Singh (2-95) clean bowled number 11 Shaun Tait for four, the
Indians had recorded one of their best wins in recent years and it
sparked boisterous celebrations. Spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was
dropped for the third Test to make way for Pathan in what proved to be
an inspired decision, and team manager Chetan Chauhan immediately dashed
to the middle carrying Indian flags.
The home side initially made steady early progress after resuming at
65 for two, but young paceman Ishant Sharma claimed the prized wicket of
Australian captain Ricky Ponting for 45, caught by Rahul Dravid at first
slip, to end a 74-run stand with Hussey.
It was due reward for the emerging Sharma, who bowled an impressive
nine-over spell.
He used his height to gain good bounce and troubled Ponting
consistently as he bowled high pace off cutters that continually jagged
back into the batsman.
RP Singh then trapped Hussey LBW for 46 before Symonds was unlucky to
be adjudged LBW off an inside edge for 12, Australia 177 for five and
struggling.
India broke Australia's previous record 16-Test winning streak when
it notched a memorable victory in Kolkata in 2001. Australia hadn't lost
a home Test since December 2003, also against India in Adelaide, and was
last beaten at the WACA by the West Indies in 1997.
INDIA FIRST INNINGS: 330
AUSTRALIA FIRST INNINGS: 212
INDIA - 2ND INNINGS
W. Jaffer c Hussey b Clark 11
V. Sehwag b Clark 43
I. Pathan c Ponting b Clark 46
R. Dravid c Gilchrist b Lee 3
S. Tendulkar lbw Lee 13
S. Ganguly c Clarke b Johnson 0
VVS. Laxman c Gilchrist b Lee 79
MS. Dhoni c Gilchrist b Symonds 38
A. Kumble c Hussey b Symonds 0
RP. Singh c Gilchrist b Clark 30
I. Sharma not out 4
EXTRAS (14LB, 8NB, 5W) 27
TOTAL 294
FALL OF WICKETS: 45 (Jaffer), 79 (Sehwag), 82 (Dravid), 116 (Tendulkar), 125 (Ganguly),
160 (Pathan), 235 (Dhoni), 235 (Kumble), 286 (Singh), 296 (Laxman).
BOWLING: Lee 20.4-4-54-3 (1w, 4nb), Johnson 10-0-58-1, Clark 19-4-61-4 (2w),
Tait 8-0-33-0 (2w, 4nb), Clarke 13-2-38-0, Symonds 10-2-36-2.
Australia second innings
C. Rogers c Dhoni b Pathan 15
P. Jaques c Jaffer b Pathan 16
R. Ponting c Dravid b Sharma 45
M. Hussey lbw RP Singh 46
M. Clarke st Dhoni b Kumble 81
A. Symonds lbw Kumble 12
A. Gilchrist b Sehwag 15
B. Lee c Laxman b Sehwag 0
M. Johnson not out 50
S. Clark c Dhoni b Pathan 32
S. Tait b RP Singh 4
EXTRAS (6LB, 10NB, 8W) 24
TOTAL 340
FALL OF WICKETS: 21 (Rogers), 43 (Jaques), 117 (Ponting), 159 (Hussey), 177 (Symonds),
227 (Gilchrist), 229 (Lee), 253 (Clarke), 326 (Clark), 340 (Tait).
BOWLING: RP Singh 21.5-4-95-2 (3w), Pathan 16-2-54-3, Sharma 17-0-63-1 (5w, 7nb),
Kumble 24-2-98-2 (3nb), Sehwag 8-1-24-2. (AFP) |