|
India scripts historic win vs Australia
Nagpur, Nov 10: Harbhajan Singh scalped four wickets as India completed a 172-run dream victory over Australia in the final Test in Nagpur to clinch the series 2-0 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
 |
|
| |
This is Australia’s biggest losing margin in 19 years.
The Australians, needing 382 runs to tie the series, slumped to 209 all out before tea on the final day as Harbhajan Singh took four wickets and fellow spinner Amit Mishra snared three. Only Matthew Hayden, with 77, scored more than 26 runs.
Matthew Hayden produced a typically belligerent 77, and Cameron White made a valiant 26 not out, but India's spinners made maximum use of the worn wicket to complete the series win. It was the first time since 1988-89 that Australia had lost a Test series by more than one match.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth, India's chairman of selectors, hailed the side for the manner of their victory.
"Australia is the No 1 team in the world and what I like about this victory is that India beat them fair and square," Srikkanth said. "This is not a typical Indian turning wicket, but a pretty placid track which has been pretty good for batting.
India regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2004 with its most lopsided series win over Australia since 1979. The last team to beat Australia by a two-match margin was the West Indies in 1989.
``This is more important than the India-Pakistan rivalry,'' India captain Mahendra Dhoni said at the televised presentation ceremony. ``We had our plan and executed it well.''
The Indians ended a run of eight straight series wins by Australia stretching back to the 2005 Ashes defeat to England. No. 3-ranked India's other victory in this series, by 320 runs in the second Test in Mohali, was its biggest winning margin by runs of all-time.
``It has been a fair result to tell the truth,'' Australia captain Ricky Ponting said at the ceremony.
India has moved into second position on the ICC Test Championship table following its 2-0 defeat of Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series.
The Indians gained an additional seven ratings points to be on a total of 116 after they defeated the world champions and in the process overtook South Africa by a fraction of a point on the table.
However, India's stay in second spot will almost certainly be short-lived as the Proteas (116 points) just require victories in each of their two upcoming Tests against minnow Bangladesh in South Africa to re-claim their position behind the Aussies.
Pacer Ishant Sharma won the Man Of The Series award for his exceptional bowling performance.
The test match was significant as it was the last international cricket match for two of India’s greatest players. Leg spinner Anil Kumble, who is India’s biggest wicket taker and batsman Sourav Ganguly, who is India’s most successful captain, took retirement following the series.
This is India’s first series win against Australia since 2001.
|
