With a 2-0 series win over Australia, India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after eight long years. India with an all-round show won the fourth and final Test of the four-match series by a thumping 172-run margin in Nagpur on Monday.
The entire Australian squad was bundled out for just 209 runs in their second innings as the spin duo—Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra came out with three and two wickets respectively. Earlier in the innings, besides the run out of Aussies skipper Ponting, Ishant Sharma claimed the priceless wickets of Simon Katich and Michel Clarke in the first two hours of the game.
Chasing an odd target of 382 for victory, the Australians were pushed down to 111-3 at lunch, and then it was the Harbhajan-Mishra combo who got hold of the remaining seven wickets in the post lunch session, just before a tea break. Both the spinners ended up with the figures of 4-64 and 3-27 respectively.
The visitor, who has not lost a single Test series since England won the 2005 Ashes, was seemed trailing from the very start of the series. India had already won the Mohali Test (2nd) by 320 runs, while the 1st and 3rd were drawn.
Matthew Hayden (77) emerged as the top-scorer amid some sloppy fielding by India, and recorded his 8th Test fifty against the host. He, however, was trapped leg-before (lbw) by none other than his nemesis Harbhajan.
Paceman Ishant Sharma declared man of the series with a whole of 15 wickets, while debutant Australian spinner Jason Krejza named man of the match for his 12 wickets.
Final scores: India 441 and 295; Australia 355 and 209.
Sourav’s final show
Former captain Sourav Ganguly, who was playing his last Test of his career in Nagpur after announcing retirement, passed on his final adieu to the crowd. His first innings 85 certainly proved to be a crucial one in reaching to a result in the final Test. The southpaw scored 324 in the series at an average of 54.
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