India capped a tight bowling display to record a crushing 172-run victory over Australia in their fourth and final Test and wrap up the series 2-0 on Monday.
Australia were bowled out for 209 on the final afternoon as they chased an unlikely 382 to suffer their first Test series defeat since the 2005 Ashes in England.
It was also India’s first Test series win over Australia in seven years as they clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Matthew Hayden alone sustained his team’s slim hopes with a bold 77.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the highest wicket-taker with 4-64, while leg-spinner Amit Mishra (3-27) and fast bowler Ishant Sharma (2-31) provided valuable support.
Only three teams — the West Indies (vs Australia in Antigua in 2003), India (vs the West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1976) and Australia (vs England in Leeds in 1948) — have chased more than 382 in the fourth innings to win a Test.
Australia’s chase was virtually over with the dismissal of Hayden, trapped leg-before by Harbhajan while attempting to turn the bowler on the on-side in the afternoon session.
Hayden had been looking dangerous with his exciting strokeplay, using his feet remarkably well against spinners and punishing fast bowlers in a 93-ball knock that contained one six and eight fours.
But he received little support from the other end as wickets kept falling. The tourists lost their last seven wickets for just 59 runs, leaving Cameron White the second-highest scorer with an unbeaten 26.
Australia had no option but to go for quick runs in a bid to square the series, but suffered a huge setback in the morning when they lost three big wickets.
They made 98 runs in the two-hour session despite India’s slow over-rate (21.3 overs), but lost overnight batsman Simon Katich (16), skipper Ricky Ponting (eight) and an unwell Michael Clarke (22) in the process.
India set a defensive field in the initial overs and succeeded in getting the wicket of Katich, who top-edged a Sharma delivery while swinging across the line, with wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni taking the catch.
Ponting failed to beat a Mishra direct-hit from mid-off while going for a risky single.
Clarke, batting with a runner (Katich), was lucky to survive a confident leg-before appeal off Sharma early in his innings as the TV replays suggested the ball would have hit the leg-stump.
He did not last long, though, edging Sharma to the wicket-keeper.
Hayden offered a difficult chance on 35 when he attempted to reverse-sweep Harbhajan, but slip fielder Rahul Dravid failed to latch on to the ball.
The Australian opener continued to defy the Indian attack, once stepping out to hoist part-time spinner Virender Sehwag for a six.
Brad Haddin (four) soon followed Hayden, giving Sachin Tendulkar his 100th Test catch at mid-on while attempting a big shot off Mishra.
Harbhajan sparked celebrations in the Indian camp when he trapped last-man Mitchell Johnson leg-before.
Explanation
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Monday he will seek an explanation from Test captain Ponting over his much-criticised bowling tactics in the final Test against India.
Australian press have slammed Ponting for worrying more about his own threatened suspension than his team’s chances of levelling the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India.
Cricket writers and commentators were stunned by what they saw as his efforts to improve Australia’s sluggish over rate rather than going for broke to try to win the vital Nagpur Test.
Under International Cricket Council regulations, a captain can face a ban for his team’s slow over rate.
Sutherland was careful not to criticise the skipper, but told reporters here he wanted to know what prompted his decision-making.
”I haven’t had a chance to talk to Ricky today [Monday] about what went on during the tea break [on the fourth day] and what the messages were that came from the umpires,” he said.
”But clearly he and [coach] Tim Nielsen, who are the leaders on the ground there in terms of tactics, they would have made whatever judgements they thought were most appropriate in the circumstances.”
Asked if he was concerned, Sutherland said: ”I might be concerned, I might not be, it depends on … getting a really clear understanding of the circumstances that ensured we played the way we did after the tea break.
”It’s not something I do every day, but at various stages I see that’s part of my responsibility as chief executive, just to get a feel [for the situation].”
Sutherland laughed off suggestions that Ponting should face CA sanction for Sunday’s tactics.
”I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said. — AFP
