Aussies surrender Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Confirmation that the once-mighty Australia are now just another Test team arrived right on tea on the final day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
When last man Mitchell Johnson was given out lbw padding up to Harbhajan Singh, India had won the match by 172 runs and the trophy by two Tests to nil.
It left the Australians sore and sorry after seven weeks in the subcontinent where they've expended every effort - yet still fallen a long way short of the home side.
While debate will rage over captain Ricky Ponting's decision to preserve the team's over rate on day four at the expense of pushing all-out for victory, it is a moot point in the final analysis.
India were the better side by a length in this series - something Ponting readily acknowledged.
"This tour we've just been totally outplayed," he said.
"With the exception of the first Test where we pretty much dominated that game, any other game we've got back to level but never really got in front, and losing three tosses in a row if you don't actually get yourself back in front after the first innings it's very hard to win here.
"Being behind on first innings again wasn't ideal and chasing 380 today was exceptionally difficult."
The Australians went down with a flurry of attacking strokes, bowled out for 209 in only 50.2 overs today and so returning to India the trophy Australia won in the same city four years ago.
A chase of 382 to win was always going to be too much on a fifth day pitch against wily spinners Harbhajan and Amit Mishra, and the tourists never really found their feet despite a hard-hitting 77 (93 balls) from opener Matthew Hayden.
Harbhajan (4-64) and Mishra (3-27) cleaned up after the Australians went to lunch at 3-111, precipitating a rush of wickets from the moment Mike Hussey (19) departed at 4-150.
Despite Hayden's belligerence, the Australians were doomed from the moment Ponting called on part-timer Cameron White to bowl on Sunday afternoon as he sought to avoid a ban for slow over rates.
His decision robbed courageous debutant spinner Jason Krejza (12-358 to earn man of the match honours) of the support he needed, and India stretched their lead from a gettable 252 at tea to the eventual and impossible 381.
The Indians celebrated a deserved series triumph that also served as a fitting send-off for retiring batsman Sourav Ganguly, who was carried from the field by his delighted teammates.
Resuming at 0-13, the Australians showed their intent to chase by playing a shot a ball, many of them unsuccessful, and opener Simon Katich (16) was out to what can only be described as a slog at Ishant Sharma (2-31), who was again outstanding for the home side and was fittingly named man of the series.
Ponting completed an ordinary match when he was run out for eight by Mishra's direct hit from mid off.
An unwell Michael Clarke batted with Katich as a runner but could make only 22 before he too fell to Sharma.
After lunch Hussey and Hayden worked to build their stand, but they were only ever one exceptional ball away from disaster, and it was Hussey who received it.
Facing up to Mishra from around the wicket, Hussey was done by a topspinner that pranced off the wicket, resulting in a glove and a simple catch for Rahul Dravid at slip.
What followed was not unexpected, the tourists crushed under the weight of their task.
Hayden shuffled across to a Harbhajan quicker ball and was lbw, Brad Haddin drove arrogantly to mid on, Shane Watson thin edged an attempted cut shot and Krejza was comfortably stumped after charging at Mishra's leg break.
The series win takes India to second place in the world Test cricket rankings, edging them ahead of South Africa.
Posted on 11:10 PM by SURENDAR and filed under | 0 Comments »
Confirmation that the once-mighty Australia are now just another Test team arrived right on tea on the final day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
When last man Mitchell Johnson was given out lbw padding up to Harbhajan Singh, India had won the match by 172 runs and the trophy by two Tests to nil.
It left the Australians sore and sorry after seven weeks in the subcontinent where they've expended every effort - yet still fallen a long way short of the home side.
While debate will rage over captain Ricky Ponting's decision to preserve the team's over rate on day four at the expense of pushing all-out for victory, it is a moot point in the final analysis.
India were the better side by a length in this series - something Ponting readily acknowledged.
"This tour we've just been totally outplayed," he said.
"With the exception of the first Test where we pretty much dominated that game, any other game we've got back to level but never really got in front, and losing three tosses in a row if you don't actually get yourself back in front after the first innings it's very hard to win here.
"Being behind on first innings again wasn't ideal and chasing 380 today was exceptionally difficult."
The Australians went down with a flurry of attacking strokes, bowled out for 209 in only 50.2 overs today and so returning to India the trophy Australia won in the same city four years ago.
A chase of 382 to win was always going to be too much on a fifth day pitch against wily spinners Harbhajan and Amit Mishra, and the tourists never really found their feet despite a hard-hitting 77 (93 balls) from opener Matthew Hayden.
Harbhajan (4-64) and Mishra (3-27) cleaned up after the Australians went to lunch at 3-111, precipitating a rush of wickets from the moment Mike Hussey (19) departed at 4-150.
Despite Hayden's belligerence, the Australians were doomed from the moment Ponting called on part-timer Cameron White to bowl on Sunday afternoon as he sought to avoid a ban for slow over rates.
His decision robbed courageous debutant spinner Jason Krejza (12-358 to earn man of the match honours) of the support he needed, and India stretched their lead from a gettable 252 at tea to the eventual and impossible 381.
The Indians celebrated a deserved series triumph that also served as a fitting send-off for retiring batsman Sourav Ganguly, who was carried from the field by his delighted teammates.
Resuming at 0-13, the Australians showed their intent to chase by playing a shot a ball, many of them unsuccessful, and opener Simon Katich (16) was out to what can only be described as a slog at Ishant Sharma (2-31), who was again outstanding for the home side and was fittingly named man of the series.
Ponting completed an ordinary match when he was run out for eight by Mishra's direct hit from mid off.
An unwell Michael Clarke batted with Katich as a runner but could make only 22 before he too fell to Sharma.
After lunch Hussey and Hayden worked to build their stand, but they were only ever one exceptional ball away from disaster, and it was Hussey who received it.
Facing up to Mishra from around the wicket, Hussey was done by a topspinner that pranced off the wicket, resulting in a glove and a simple catch for Rahul Dravid at slip.
What followed was not unexpected, the tourists crushed under the weight of their task.
Hayden shuffled across to a Harbhajan quicker ball and was lbw, Brad Haddin drove arrogantly to mid on, Shane Watson thin edged an attempted cut shot and Krejza was comfortably stumped after charging at Mishra's leg break.
The series win takes India to second place in the world Test cricket rankings, edging them ahead of South Africa.
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