India win second Test, sweep series 2-0

Bengaluru: India confirmed they are the No1 nation in Test cricket through a sterling performance that left the Australians stunned in the two Test series.

In the second Test at the Chinnaswamy stadium, India beat Australia by seven wickets to record a historic 2-0 clean sweep of the series and retain the Gavaskar-Border trophy.
Bowling out Australia for 223 runs, within an hour after the action commenced on the final day, India raced to the victory target of 207 runs in 45 overs.

This time it was two youngsters who showed the way for India in the second innings. Test debutant Cheteshwar Pujara (72) and M. Vijay (37), through a splendid 72 runs partnership in just 13 overs, set the stage for an historic victory over the mighty Australians.

Sachin Tendulkar completed the formalities with a breezy unbeaten 53 runs with Rahul Dravid chipping in with an unbeaten 21 runs. Together they put on 61 runs for the fourth wicket.

Tendulkar, who piled up 267 runs from both the innings in this match, was declared the man of the match and the man of the series.

Pujara, inspired at being promoted up the batting order ahead of Dravid, played an innings which left the Australians stunned. Vijay carried on his form from the first innings to hit a quick 37 studded with six boundaries, before being trapped leg before by Shane Watson.

Tendulkar joined a fluently stroking Pujara and encouraged him to go for the strokes. Pujara pulled Watson’s short delivery over mid wicket to reach his half century. He looked all set for a century when, at his score on 72, he got beaten by a straight one by Nathan Hauritz which hit his off stump.

Pujara and Tendulkar put on 57 runs in 13.4 overs. His knock, which came off 89 balls, contained seven boundaries.

Tendulkar continued to bat like in the first innings with the experienced Dravid as a partner. In the 37th over, Tendulkar hit Hauritz for two consecutive sixes over long on to announce that Indian victory is now just a formality.

Australia, commencing the day’s action at the overnight score of 202 for 7, lost the wicket of Mitchelle Johnson within half an hour into the match.

Johnson hit 11 runs and put on 32 runs with Nathan Hauritz for the eighth wicket. Zaheer Khan clean bowled Johnson with a reverse swing that hit his off stump.

Sreesanth struck to take his second wicket when he clean bowled Ben Hilfenhaus for a duck. Peter George too fell to a bouncer from Khan, which took his glove and went into the hands of wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a duck.

India needed 207 runs to win the match and according to ground statistics, has never chased a total beyond 200 at this venue.

The team began their chase with Vijay steering the first ball of the second innings from Hilfenhaus past gully to the boundary. Danger man Virender Sehwag had a lucky escape at his score on one when Michael Hussey dropped him at the gully off Johnson. Sehwag went on to hit a cracking boundary off Hilfenhaus and then opened the face of his bat to steer the next ball past gully, but was brilliantly caught by Tim Paine who flew to his right to take a brilliant catch.

India made a surprise move and promoted debutant Pujara up the order. He executed a sparkling cover drive off Johnson, displaying his determination to fight the odds. Some of his shots were so beautifully timed that they raced to the boundary in rocket speed. Vijay carried on his form from the first innings to stroke beautifully to steer India to a commanding position.

Scoreboard

Australia first innings 478 (M. North 128, R. Ponting 77)
India first innings 495 (S. Tendulkar 214, M. Vijay 139)

Australia second innings (Overnight 202-7)
S Watson lbw b Ojha 32
S Katich c Dhoni b Singh 24
R Ponting lbw b Khan 72
M Clarke st Dhoni b Ojha 3
M Hussey lbw b Ojha 20
M North b Singh 3
T Paine c Dhoni b Sreesanth 23
M Johnson b Khan 11
N Hauritz not out 21
B Hilfenhaus b Sreesanth 0
P George c Dhoni b Khan 0
Extras:(b-1, lb-5, w-3, nb-5) 14
Total: (all out; 75.2 overs) 223

Fall of wickets: 1-58 2-58 3-65 4-126 5-131 6-181 7-185 8-217 9-218

Bowling: Khan 11.2-1-41-3 (1w), Sreesanth 14-2-48-2 (3nb), Ojha 25-5-57-3, Singh 21-2-63-2, Sehwag 4-0-8-0.

India second innings:
M Vijay lbw b Watson 37
V Sehwag c Paine b Hilfenhaus 7
C Pujara b Hauritz 72
S Tendulkar not out 53
R Dravid not out 21
Extras: (b-8, lb-5, w-4) 17
Total: (three wickets, 45 overs) 207

Fall of wickets: 1-17 2-89 3-146

Bowling: Hilfenhaus 7-0-27-1, Johnson 14-4-42-0 (2w), Hauritz 12-0-76-1, George 7-0-29-0 (1w), Watson 5-0-20-1