NEW DELHI: India registered a comprehensive 320-run historic win over Australia in the second Test to take an all important lead in the four-match Te
st series.
st series.
India bundled world champions Australia at the score of 195 runs, after setting a daunting victory target of 516, on the final day of the second Test in Mohali. India lead the four match Test series 1-0 after drawing the first Test in Bangalore. India started the fifth day's play of the second Test in Mohali needing 5 wickets to win the Test and draw first blood in the series. Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin, who resumed the Australian second innings, had a herculean task to play out the whole day to draw the Test. If Monday belonged to Harbhajan Singh, pacer Zaheer Khan took the charge on Tuesday as he gave the morning blues to the remaining half of the Australian side. Speedster Zaheer started breathing fire with his firesome deliveries right form the word go as he came out with a peach of a delivery in day's first over to castle wicketkeeper Brad Haddin's stumps. The ball cut back sharply and went through between bat and pad gap. Zaheer was appearing so menacing as if he wanted to seal the victory as early as possible. Zaheer came back for his second and day's third over to rattle the Australians. This time Zaheer drew Cameron White for a drive that awestruck him, while taking the edge that safely landed in skipper Dhoni's safe pair of hands. Zaheer landed another sharpener in the very next ball as it swung away to clean up Brett Lee's off stump. Mitchell Johnson denied Zaheer the opportunity to become only the third Indian after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan to take a Test match hat-trick by safely negotiating the third delivery. Leggie Amit Mishra too joined the party by striking in his second over of the day as Johnson (26) edged a wrong ‘un back to the spinner for a simple catch leaving India only one wicket away from victory. Mishra sealed the issue by claiming Michael Clarke's wicket. Earlier on Monday, India was well on the course of the victory after Australia finished Day 4 on 141/5. The Visitors were staring at defeat after losing their top-five batsmen adding just 58 runs on the fourth day of the second Test. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and speedster Ishant Sharma shared five wickets together to break Australian spine and put India on top as the tourists required another 375 runs for victory on the final day of the second Test. Chasing a daunting victory target of 516 after the Indians declared their second innings at 314/3, Australia were reeling at 141/5 at stumps on a benign pitch at the Punjab Cricket Association. Michael Clarke however defied the Indian attack and was on 42 with six fours at close along with Brad Haddin (37), the duo having put on 83 runs for the sixth-wicket stand. The Indians, who made 469 all out in their first outing, declared their second innings an hour before tea to leave Australia four and a half sessions to achieve the target. The third Test of the four-match Test series will start on October 29 at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi. Some interesting facts What a memorable Test match this has been, Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run scorer and the first batsman to reach 12000 runs in Test cricket. Sourav Ganguly became the fourth Indian to score 7000 Test runs before notching up his 16th Test century. Amit Mishra became the sixth Indian to take five wickets on Test debut. Dhoni became only the third wicket-keeper batsman and captain to make half-centuries in both the innings of a Test. Gautam Gambhir got his first Test century in India. And of course India registering their biggest Test match victory ever in terms of runs and it tastes sweeter as it has come against Australia. Congratulate Team India.
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