Australia’s 35-year wait for a Test-series triumph on Indian soil ended on Friday when their pace bowlers ripped through the Indian batting line-up to clinch a massive, 342-run victory in the third Test.
Fast bowler Jason Gillespie claimed four wickets as India’s batting line-up crumbled for the second time in the Test.
Set a mammoth victory target of 543, India crashed out for 200 to concede their biggest defeat by runs in 72 years of Test cricket.
Australia scored 398 and 329 for five declared in its two innings, while India were dismissed for 185 in the first innings.
The Aussies, who won the opening Test of the four-match series by 217 runs in Bangalore, head for next week’s final Test with a 2-0 lead.
Bill Lawry’s 1969 team were the last Australian side to win a series in India.
Before Friday, India’s biggest loss by runs was a 329-run loss to South Africa at Calcutta in 1996.
India’s defeat seemed imminent after their top order fell cheaply, leaving them tottering at 37 for five.
Gillespie bowled opener Aakash Chopra (one) and stand-in skipper Rahul Dravid (two) before Glenn McGrath, playing in his 100th Test, claimed Sachin Tendulkar (two) for his 450th dismissal — only the fourth bowler in Tests to reach the milestone.
Chopra had his middle stump uprooted and Dravid edged an inswinger on to the wickets.
Tendulkar fended off a rising ball from McGrath straight into the hands of Damien Martyn at point, before paceman Michael Kasprowicz removed VVS Laxman (two) and Mohammad Kaif (seven).
The five batsmen managed to play just 52 deliveries between them.
Opener Virender Sehwag struck eight boundaries in his 94-ball 58, sharing a defiant 65-run partnership with Parthiv Patel, who scored 32.
Patel hit six boundaries from 53 balls before Gillespie returned to have him caught behind by Gilchrist.
Gillespie then bowled Anil Kumble (two) to return a haul of four for 24.
Sehwag miscued a catch off leg-spinner Shane Warne to Michael Clarke at covers.
McGrath increased his tally by having Murali Kartik snapped at the wicket by Gilchrist for 22.
Warne had last man Zaheer Khan (25) caught by Damien Martyn on the mid-wicket fence to end his stand with Ajit Agarkar (44 not out).
Captain Gilchrist declared Australia’s second innings when Martyn was caught behind for 97 just before lunch.
Martyn missed a chance of scoring his third successive century.
He had scored 104 in the second innings of the second Test at Madras, and 114 in his first knock at Nagpur.
Surviving a dropped catch by Sehwag off pace bowler Agarkar when he was on 85, Martyn shared a 148-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Clarke, who hit a rapid, 95-ball 73.
Resuming at the overnight score of 202 for three, Martyn and Clarke hammered the Indian attack to add 77 runs in the first hour.
Clarke lofted Agarkar for a six over mid-off and struck 11 boundaries before pulling a short delivery from leg-spinner Anil Kumble to Kaif at short mid-wicket. Clarke had scored 91 in the first innings.
Martyn fell as he tried to drive an outswinging delivery from pace bowler Zaheer Khan, only to nick it to wicketkeeper Patel. — Sapa-AP