By IANS
Perth : A resurgent and determined India stopped the Australian juggernaut by handing them a 72-run defeat on the fourth day of the third Test here Saturday to keep the four-Test series alive. India now trail 1-2 in the four-match series. The fourth Test begins in Adelaide on Jan 24.
Chasing 413 for a win, Australia were all out for 340 in 86.5 overs in the face of some inspired bowling by the Indians, especially youngster Ishant Sharma and later by Virender Sehwag, who in his role as a spinner got two crucial wickets.
The hosts had made 212 in their first innings while Anil Kumble’s India scored 330 and 294.
Pathan was adjudged the Man of the Match for scoring 74 crucial runs (28 and 46 in the two innings) besides taking five wickets in the two Australian innings. He was the most successful bowler in the second innings with three for 54.
Michael Clarke (81, 134 balls, 10x4s) was top scorer in Australia’s second innings and Mitchell Johnson used the long handle to good effect to make the only other half-century, an unbeaten 50 (80 balls, 5x4s, 2x6s).
Johnson’s 73-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Stuart Clarke (32, 35 balls, 3x4s, 1×6) did cause India some worry, but in the end it only served to delay the inevitable. It was left to Pathan to break this ninth-wicket association before R.P. Singh dismissed Shaun Tait to wrap up the match with a day to spare.
Ricky Ponting’s side failed in the attempt to win a 17th successive Test for a world record. It was also Australia’s first defeat in 25 Tests at home. Interestingly, Australia’s last home loss was also to India, in December 2003 in Adelaide. Saturday also marked Australia’s first defeat in almost 10 years at the Western Australian Cricket Association Ground.
With no century having been recorded over the four days which were dominated by the bowlers, Rahul Dravid’s 93 in the first innings stood as the highest score of the match.
The final Test will be played in Adelaide from Thursday. After the Test series, India will play a one-off Twenty20 International against Australia Feb 1 and a One-Day International triangular series, beginning Feb 3, with Sri Lanka joining the two teams.
The Indians were clearly charged up following the events during and after their defeat in the second Test in Sydney. As the entire team backed Harbhajan Singh in denying the Australians’ charge of racial comments, the players bonded like never before on this tour – and it showed in their performance.
On Saturday, Australia dominated the first session but India came back strongly in the second before wrapping up the match in the post-tea session.
India had only one success in the morning session when lanky Delhi pacer Ishant Sharma dismissed Ponting with a beautiful delivery that the home captain pushed on the front foot. But the ball kissed the edge of his bat on way to Dravid at first slip.
After resuming the day at 65 for two, Ponting (overnight 24) and Hussey (5) went on to raise 74 for the third wicket in 23.3 overs, scoring at 3.14 runs per over. The skipper was the dominant partner as he scored 36.
Ponting and Hussey had come together at the fall of Phil Jaques’ wicket, at 43 for two, late Friday. By the time their partnership was broken, they had taken their team to 117.
Australia scored 77 in the two-hour session and lost only Ponting.
The second session began with pacer Singh dismissing Mike Hussey, who was looking good at 46 (113 balls, 5x4s). The left-armer switched to over the wicket for the last ball of his 15th over and tasted success as Hussey played a forward defensive shot, missed the line and umpire Asad Rauf declared him lbw after a pause.
After a relatively sedate start, Andrew Symonds (12, 14 balls, 1×4, 1×6) chanced his arms and hit Kumble for a six over mid-off, completing 1,000 runs in his 18th Test. One ball later, Kumble had his measure with a 102 kmph delivery.
Symonds went on the back foot to a googly, failed to connect as the ball hit his back foot and umpire Billy Bowden of New Zealand raised his finger instantly. Kumble went delirious, with an extended celebration.
Gilchrist joined Clarke and the two started building a partnership as the bowlers suddenly looked ineffective. The pair brought up 50 for the sixth wicket and the Indians might have started to worry.
But in the second instinctive move of the day, Kumble brought in Sehwag, whose innocuous off-spinners have broken many a partnership earlier. Returning to the Test side after more than a year, Sehwag took two wickets in six balls to give India a much-needed boost. Sehwag dismissed Adam Gilchrist (15, 22 balls, 2x4s) and Brett Lee (0).
The balding opener cleaned up Gilchrist around his legs with a sharp turner as the left-hander tried to play an ambitious sweep.
In his next over, Sehwag had Lee caught by V.V.S. Laxman at silly point off bat-pad while defending. Australia slumped to 229 for seven.
India captured four wickets in this second session while Australia scored 101.
Soon after tea, Kumble had the solid-looking Clarke stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he charged down the pitch for a big shot. He and Johnson had defied the Indian attack for almost 13 overs while scoring 73 runs at an amazing 5.68 per over.
Johnson smashed Kumble for three boundaries in one over on way to his maiden Test half-century, which he eventually got in the company of last man Shaun Tait. He lofted Kumble once but Sehwag failed to hold the catch after running quite a distance from wide long on. Johnson was then on 28.
Stuart Clark provided able support to Johnson before Pathan finally consumed Clark, caught by Dhoni to reduce Australia to 326 for nine. Singh sealed the win as he castled Shaun Tait for four and triggered extended celebrations in the Indian camp.
Scoreboard
Third Test, Day 4, India vs. Australia, Western Australian Cricket Association Ground, Perth (stumps)
India (1st innings): 330
Australia (1st innings): 212
India (2nd innings): 294
Australia (2nd innings, overnight 65/2)
Chris Rogers c Dhoni b Pathan 15
Phil Jaques c Jaffer b Pathan 16
Ricky Ponting c Dravid b Sharma 45
Mike Hussey lbw b Singh 46
Michael Clarke st Dhoni b Kumble 81
Andrew Symonds lbw b Kumble 12
Adam Gilchrist b Sehwag 15
Brett Lee c Laxman b Sehwag 0
Mitchell Johnson not out 50
Stuart Clark c Dhoni b Pathan 32
Shaun Tait b Singh 4
Extras (lb 6, w 8, nb 10) 24
Total (all out in 86.5 overs) 340
Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Rogers, 5.1 ov), 2-43 (Jaques, 9.4), 3-117 (Ponting, 33.1), 4-159 (Hussey, 44.6), 5-177 (Symonds, 49.4), 6-227 (Gilchrist, 60.3), 7-229 (Lee, 62.2), 8-253 (Clarke, 71.1), 9-326 (Clark, 83.6)
Bowling:
Rudra Pratap Singh 21.5-4-95-2 (3w)
Irfan Pathan 16-2-54-3
Ishant Sharma 17-0-63-1 (7nb, 1w)
Anil Kumble 24-2-98-2 (3nb)
Virender Sehwag 8-1-24-2
Result: India won by 72 runs
Series: Australia lead four-Test series 2-1
Man of the Match: Irfan Pathan (India)
Toss: India
Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) and Asad Rauf (Pakistan)
Match referee: Mike Procter (South Africa)