Monday, December 20, 2010
Tendulkar and Dhoni delay South Africa's win
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sachin Tendulkar celebrated century No. 50 but India ended the day on the verge of defeat © Associated Press
Enlarge
Related Links
Analysis : India show fight at last
Features : Ishant's revenge and a lesson in patience
Analysis : South Africa's two moments of brilliance
Features : Tendulkar focussed amid the frenzy
Audio/Video: Extra object id | Harris: We expected a hard fight from India | Wessels: Dhoni's wicket was the key
Matches: South Africa v India at Centurion
Series/Tournaments: India tour of South Africa
Teams: India | South Africa
When strong winds and storm clouds forced the players off SuperSport Park late on the fourth day, South Africa were on the verge of winning a Test they had dominated entirely. That they hadn't won by an innings already, and would spend the night hoping the foul weather vanishes in time to take two wickets, was because Sachin Tendulkar scored his 50th Test century in trying circumstances and, with MS Dhoni, forged a counterattacking 172-run partnership that took India to within 30 runs of wiping out the monstrous 484-run deficit.
South Africa had taken such a significant stride towards victory by scalping four wickets during the first session that it seemed as though their 1-0 series lead would be secure before tea. However, they faced resistance: first from Tendulkar, whose concentration did not waver as his middle-order mates departed meekly, and then from Dhoni, whose belligerent approach brought rewards thanks to a sparsely-populated outfield. South Africa did not take a wicket between lunch and tea. India made 117.
Tendulkar and Dhoni continued to blunt a tiring attack during the final session and whittled the deficit below 100. It needed Dale Steyn - supremely fit, aggressive, and pumped up for one last burst - to bowl a bouncer that rose steeply and seamed towards Dhoni, dismissing him for 90 - an innings that began the fightback. Steyn screamed in angry celebration as Dhoni failed to sway out of the way and Mark Boucher dived to his right to catch the edge. India were 449 for 7 and the dream of saving the Test was over. Harbhajan Singh nicked to slip soon after and Tendulkar, watching unbeaten from the other end as Jacques Kallis roared uncharacteristically after taking the catch, knew that he would need substantial help from the weather to help India escape.
There was little hope of a jailbreak when Dhoni joined Tendulkar right after lunch with India on 277 for 6, trailing by 207. The desperateness of the situation allowed Dhoni to play aggressively and he did so, driving Lonwabo Tsotsobe past mid-off and through cover in the 79th over of the innings. Seeking a quick end, Smith gave the second new ball to Steyn and Morne Morkel, urging them to take the wicket that would expose India's tail. It did not happen. Tendulkar was calmness and good judgment personified, while Dhoni attacked, sometimes merely pushing the ball with enviable timing through the off side, sometimes lashing drives and cuts with a high back-lift and fierce follow-through. Both approaches yielded boundaries, and he began to catch up with Tendulkar.
Mokel leaked 13 in his second over with the new ball. Tendulkar cut him fiercely, and Dhoni pulled and drove through cover. There were a glut of boundaries in the first hour after lunch, three of which Dhoni took off consecutive deliveries from Kallis, leaving the bowler muttering to himself at the end of the over.
Paul Harris got the odd ball to jump, turn and trouble Tendulkar, but he was largely ineffective, considering he was operating on a fourth-day surface. As the deficit decreased, Dhoni tempered his aggression while Tendulkar continued batting resolutely, his cutting and driving off the back foot being the standout features of his innings.
Tendulkar resumed after tea on 80, his fluency uninterrupted, and flicked and steered Morkel for boundaries to accelerate towards his milestone. South Africa attempted to delay the century by deploying boundary-riders. Out of the blue, Tendulkar charged Harris, lofting cleanly over mid-off to steam into the nineties. He played the paddle sweep, mis-timed another charge against Harris, and was nearly involved in a disastrous mix-up with Dhoni, before punching Steyn through cover point to become the only batsman with 50 Test centuries.
At Old Trafford in 1990, Tendulkar's first Test hundred was made in adversity and it helped India avoid defeat. His 50th, like his first and so many others, was also an attempt at saving the match. His celebrations were not extravagant because India were still struggling.
As the light grew dimmer and the clouds darker, South Africa needed inspiration to end India's resistance and Steyn provided it. During the spell in which he dismissed Dhoni, Steyn hit speeds of 145kph, smacking Tendulkar on the gloves and thudding a bouncer into his shoulder. He raised South Africa's intensity levels single-handedly.
Before India began to fight, however, they had lost four wickets in quick time, the last of which was Suresh Raina, brittle as ever, hanging his bat outside off stump in the final over before lunch to edge Kallis to slip. His dismissal was the perfect end to the session for South Africa, who had performed with patience. Dravid and the nightwatchman Ishant Sharma had played carefully and their partnership lasted 48 minutes, holding up South Africa. The frustration didn't last much longer, however, as Steyn had Ishant caught at short leg.
During his composed innings, Dravid went past 12,000 Test runs but India needed much more from him than 43. Morkel accounted for him with one that was angled in and then seamed away, and grazed the outside edge of Dravid's tentative push. Laxman wasn't comfortable against pace, either, and eventually edged a full ball to gully, giving Tsotsobe his first wicket of the match. At that point, few would have expected South Africa to face the difficulty they did.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at Cricinf
Sachin Tendulkar celebrated century No. 50 but India ended the day on the verge of defeat © Associated Press
Enlarge
Related Links
Analysis : India show fight at last
Features : Ishant's revenge and a lesson in patience
Analysis : South Africa's two moments of brilliance
Features : Tendulkar focussed amid the frenzy
Audio/Video: Extra object id | Harris: We expected a hard fight from India | Wessels: Dhoni's wicket was the key
Matches: South Africa v India at Centurion
Series/Tournaments: India tour of South Africa
Teams: India | South Africa
When strong winds and storm clouds forced the players off SuperSport Park late on the fourth day, South Africa were on the verge of winning a Test they had dominated entirely. That they hadn't won by an innings already, and would spend the night hoping the foul weather vanishes in time to take two wickets, was because Sachin Tendulkar scored his 50th Test century in trying circumstances and, with MS Dhoni, forged a counterattacking 172-run partnership that took India to within 30 runs of wiping out the monstrous 484-run deficit.
South Africa had taken such a significant stride towards victory by scalping four wickets during the first session that it seemed as though their 1-0 series lead would be secure before tea. However, they faced resistance: first from Tendulkar, whose concentration did not waver as his middle-order mates departed meekly, and then from Dhoni, whose belligerent approach brought rewards thanks to a sparsely-populated outfield. South Africa did not take a wicket between lunch and tea. India made 117.
Tendulkar and Dhoni continued to blunt a tiring attack during the final session and whittled the deficit below 100. It needed Dale Steyn - supremely fit, aggressive, and pumped up for one last burst - to bowl a bouncer that rose steeply and seamed towards Dhoni, dismissing him for 90 - an innings that began the fightback. Steyn screamed in angry celebration as Dhoni failed to sway out of the way and Mark Boucher dived to his right to catch the edge. India were 449 for 7 and the dream of saving the Test was over. Harbhajan Singh nicked to slip soon after and Tendulkar, watching unbeaten from the other end as Jacques Kallis roared uncharacteristically after taking the catch, knew that he would need substantial help from the weather to help India escape.
There was little hope of a jailbreak when Dhoni joined Tendulkar right after lunch with India on 277 for 6, trailing by 207. The desperateness of the situation allowed Dhoni to play aggressively and he did so, driving Lonwabo Tsotsobe past mid-off and through cover in the 79th over of the innings. Seeking a quick end, Smith gave the second new ball to Steyn and Morne Morkel, urging them to take the wicket that would expose India's tail. It did not happen. Tendulkar was calmness and good judgment personified, while Dhoni attacked, sometimes merely pushing the ball with enviable timing through the off side, sometimes lashing drives and cuts with a high back-lift and fierce follow-through. Both approaches yielded boundaries, and he began to catch up with Tendulkar.
Mokel leaked 13 in his second over with the new ball. Tendulkar cut him fiercely, and Dhoni pulled and drove through cover. There were a glut of boundaries in the first hour after lunch, three of which Dhoni took off consecutive deliveries from Kallis, leaving the bowler muttering to himself at the end of the over.
Paul Harris got the odd ball to jump, turn and trouble Tendulkar, but he was largely ineffective, considering he was operating on a fourth-day surface. As the deficit decreased, Dhoni tempered his aggression while Tendulkar continued batting resolutely, his cutting and driving off the back foot being the standout features of his innings.
Tendulkar resumed after tea on 80, his fluency uninterrupted, and flicked and steered Morkel for boundaries to accelerate towards his milestone. South Africa attempted to delay the century by deploying boundary-riders. Out of the blue, Tendulkar charged Harris, lofting cleanly over mid-off to steam into the nineties. He played the paddle sweep, mis-timed another charge against Harris, and was nearly involved in a disastrous mix-up with Dhoni, before punching Steyn through cover point to become the only batsman with 50 Test centuries.
At Old Trafford in 1990, Tendulkar's first Test hundred was made in adversity and it helped India avoid defeat. His 50th, like his first and so many others, was also an attempt at saving the match. His celebrations were not extravagant because India were still struggling.
As the light grew dimmer and the clouds darker, South Africa needed inspiration to end India's resistance and Steyn provided it. During the spell in which he dismissed Dhoni, Steyn hit speeds of 145kph, smacking Tendulkar on the gloves and thudding a bouncer into his shoulder. He raised South Africa's intensity levels single-handedly.
Before India began to fight, however, they had lost four wickets in quick time, the last of which was Suresh Raina, brittle as ever, hanging his bat outside off stump in the final over before lunch to edge Kallis to slip. His dismissal was the perfect end to the session for South Africa, who had performed with patience. Dravid and the nightwatchman Ishant Sharma had played carefully and their partnership lasted 48 minutes, holding up South Africa. The frustration didn't last much longer, however, as Steyn had Ishant caught at short leg.
During his composed innings, Dravid went past 12,000 Test runs but India needed much more from him than 43. Morkel accounted for him with one that was angled in and then seamed away, and grazed the outside edge of Dravid's tentative push. Laxman wasn't comfortable against pace, either, and eventually edged a full ball to gully, giving Tsotsobe his first wicket of the match. At that point, few would have expected South Africa to face the difficulty they did.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at Cricinf
Sunday, December 19, 2010
International Scores
International Scores: "Get the latest scores of all the international cricket matches from Cricinfo. Add the Cricinfo International Scores widget now!"
Tendulkar focussed amid the frenzy
He was in a foreign land. At least a land that has stayed the most foreign to India even after their resurgence away from home. They started chanting "Sachin, Sachin" from the time he guided one past short third man to move to 88. There were whites, there were blacks, there were browns at the grass banks of SuperSport Park, and all they wanted was for Sachin Tendulkar's 50th Test hundred to come in front of them.
It was difficult to not let that affect you, but Tendulkar was in a different sphere. He was trying to save a game, trying to kill time, trying to run through the deficit. He took his time to get to 89, and South Africa tried to cut out boundary-scoring areas. A forward short leg came in, Morne Morkel bowled bouncers - around the helmet area, and into the ribs. Tendulkar kept ducking, the lower ones he kept keeping out; if he was nervous, he wasn't showing it. Against Paul Harris, who has somehow managed to be India's nemesis, he hit a straight six to send the crowd into frenzy again.
The chants started again. When at 97, he faced another flurry of bouncers. One of them went for five wides. Ten deliveries he spent on 97. Then came Dale Steyn. He got an inside-edge past midwicket to move to 99. Then he squirted one between cover and extra cover, celebrating as he ran the 100th run. Not extravagantly. The helmet came off, the back arched a bit, and he looked up to the skies.
Tendulkar later spoke of the moment when he reached the milestone. "The first thing obviously I thought of was my father because I wanted to do it for him," he said. "Yesterday was his birthday, and I would like to dedicate this to him."
Tendulkar didn't know what to make of the landmark. Perhaps the match situation - India are on the verge of a defeat despite his and MS Dhoni's effort - had something to do with it. Perhaps it is taking time to sink in. "I don't know. I am okay. It's just another number for me. It's nice. Obviously I can't say I am not happy, I am happy. But I don't know how to express this. It's good that it has come. Hopefully it doesn't stop, it continues."
Tendulkar remembered his first Test that was played against an attack that comprised three greats. He was quick to remind the reporters of Abdul Qadir's presence too, to go with Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan. "It was challenging," he said. "I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned a lot on that tour and whenever I have played them. It's been a fantastic contest."
Twitter reaction
Sanjay Manjrekar: "He has got it finally! and judging from his reaction..meant a lot to him...the 50th test ton..this is one record that is there to stay."
Harsha Bhogle: "All great players redefine their profession.50 Test hundreds was considered unthinkable. Sachin has done it."
Yuvraj Singh: "Greatest achievement by a bats man ever! His name is sachinnnnnnn tendulkarrrrrrrrrr!! Wooohooooooooo."
Iain O'Brien: "Congrats you little massive legend!"
Tendulkar has had a bumper 2010, this being his seventh Test century to go with the only double-century in the history of ODIs. Of his remarkable form, he said: "Just been batting and enjoying. Sometime you are striking the ball really well and that is when you need to cash in as much as possible. I only try to do that. I felt that the last couple of years I have been moving well. Also the frame of mind. It's a habit, and once you build that habit, it's a good habit to carry on tours and back home in India as well."
Tendulkar also reiterated that records have just happened to come his way while he has been doing what he loves the most. "I am playing for the love of it," he said. "If I was chasing records, I wouldn't have missed those one-day matches in between. I have had to pace myself. I thought I was not in top physical condition, and I needed some break and requested the board for the rest so I stay fresh. If I were chasing records, I wouldn't have done that. Its about producing quality cricket, and that's what I want to do."
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at Cricinfo
Feeds: Sidharth Monga
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
It was difficult to not let that affect you, but Tendulkar was in a different sphere. He was trying to save a game, trying to kill time, trying to run through the deficit. He took his time to get to 89, and South Africa tried to cut out boundary-scoring areas. A forward short leg came in, Morne Morkel bowled bouncers - around the helmet area, and into the ribs. Tendulkar kept ducking, the lower ones he kept keeping out; if he was nervous, he wasn't showing it. Against Paul Harris, who has somehow managed to be India's nemesis, he hit a straight six to send the crowd into frenzy again.
The chants started again. When at 97, he faced another flurry of bouncers. One of them went for five wides. Ten deliveries he spent on 97. Then came Dale Steyn. He got an inside-edge past midwicket to move to 99. Then he squirted one between cover and extra cover, celebrating as he ran the 100th run. Not extravagantly. The helmet came off, the back arched a bit, and he looked up to the skies.
Tendulkar later spoke of the moment when he reached the milestone. "The first thing obviously I thought of was my father because I wanted to do it for him," he said. "Yesterday was his birthday, and I would like to dedicate this to him."
Tendulkar didn't know what to make of the landmark. Perhaps the match situation - India are on the verge of a defeat despite his and MS Dhoni's effort - had something to do with it. Perhaps it is taking time to sink in. "I don't know. I am okay. It's just another number for me. It's nice. Obviously I can't say I am not happy, I am happy. But I don't know how to express this. It's good that it has come. Hopefully it doesn't stop, it continues."
Tendulkar remembered his first Test that was played against an attack that comprised three greats. He was quick to remind the reporters of Abdul Qadir's presence too, to go with Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan. "It was challenging," he said. "I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned a lot on that tour and whenever I have played them. It's been a fantastic contest."
Twitter reaction
Sanjay Manjrekar: "He has got it finally! and judging from his reaction..meant a lot to him...the 50th test ton..this is one record that is there to stay."
Harsha Bhogle: "All great players redefine their profession.50 Test hundreds was considered unthinkable. Sachin has done it."
Yuvraj Singh: "Greatest achievement by a bats man ever! His name is sachinnnnnnn tendulkarrrrrrrrrr!! Wooohooooooooo."
Iain O'Brien: "Congrats you little massive legend!"
Tendulkar has had a bumper 2010, this being his seventh Test century to go with the only double-century in the history of ODIs. Of his remarkable form, he said: "Just been batting and enjoying. Sometime you are striking the ball really well and that is when you need to cash in as much as possible. I only try to do that. I felt that the last couple of years I have been moving well. Also the frame of mind. It's a habit, and once you build that habit, it's a good habit to carry on tours and back home in India as well."
Tendulkar also reiterated that records have just happened to come his way while he has been doing what he loves the most. "I am playing for the love of it," he said. "If I was chasing records, I wouldn't have missed those one-day matches in between. I have had to pace myself. I thought I was not in top physical condition, and I needed some break and requested the board for the rest so I stay fresh. If I were chasing records, I wouldn't have done that. Its about producing quality cricket, and that's what I want to do."
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at Cricinfo
Feeds: Sidharth Monga
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Ganguly, Dravid shown the door, Kohli stays on
Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir are among the big names released by their IPL franchises, along with Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Andrew Symonds, while Virat Kohli is the surprise retention for his team for the next three seasons. Wednesday was the deadline for the franchises to name the players they would retain from their current squads and while there is no common thread running through the choices of players retained and released, the key factors seem to be form, brand appeal and age.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab have decided not to retain any of their players, while all the other IPL franchises have held back at least one current player. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, the 2010 finalists, have retained the maximum of four players each, in the process parting with half of the $9 million salary cap available to teams.
According to the auction rules for IPL 4, teams can retain up to four players, only three of whom can be Indians. The retained players - who must have been part of the franchise's registered squads for the 2010 season - will be valued at $1.8 million for the first player, $1.3 million for the second, $900,000 for the third and $500,000 for the fourth.
Mumbai, as expected, held on to Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run-scorer of the 2010 season, offspinner Harbhajan Singh, West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard and Sri Lanka seamer Lasith Malinga. Chennai took the Indian trio of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and M Vijay out of the auction, in addition to South African allrounder Albie Morkel, their regular opening bowler. Delhi Daredevils retained only Virender Sehwag, meaning Gambhir - their captain for the last two seasons - is in the auction pool.
The retained players
Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga
Chennai: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, M Vijay, Albie Morkel
Rajasthan: Shane Warne, Shane Watson
Delhi: Virender Sehwag
Bangalore: Virat Kohli
The most interesting choice came from Royal Challengers Bangalore whose sole retention is Virat Kohli, currently on an impressive run in ODIs. There is no place for Dravid, their icon player, nor for Anil Kumble, their captain and the head of the state association. Kolkata's decision to drop Sourav Ganguly, the biggest cricketing name to emerge from the city and the face of the franchise's on-field persona, is a bold step.
Punjab's decision to release all their players was expected following their dismal 2010 season, which means Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Yuvraj Singh will go under the hammer.
Siddhartha Mallya, owner of the Bangalore franchise, said the decision to retain just one player was backed by financial logic. "You must realise that with retention, a big chunk of your budget gets taken away," Mallya told ESPNcricinfo. " Mumbai and Chennai have kept four players, which means that half their budget is gone. It finally comes down to how much money one was going to lose. We have a big balance sheet but we have lost $1.8 million for keeping one player. We still have about $7-odd million left but if we had retained four then we would have had to buy virtually an entire squad with the remaining half."
Age is not a universal disqualification. It didn't count in Tendulkar's case, nor in that of Shane Warne, Rajasthan's coach and captain, who was retained by Rajasthan Royals, along with Shane Watson, a day ahead of the deadline. One franchise official explained the difference: "Warne is a global brand so that only helps to promote the franchise."
If Rajasthan opted for Warne because they have always viewed the IPL as a global brand, Mumbai went with Tendulkar and Harbhajan for their popularity. Pollard and Malinga may have made the cut on account of being impact players, who have backed up their strong Twenty20 credentials with consistent performance.
Sehwag's match-winning abilities, coupled with his rapid emergence as a brand, clearly had a say in Delhi's decision to retain him. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina must have been shoo-ins for Chennai following their compelling IPL and international form. Vijay's performances, coupled with his potential to attract a strong local fan-base, must have tilted the scales in his favour, while Morkel's proven all-round skills were always going to be an asset. If there is a stranger in this crowd, it could be Kohli. Despite his owners trumpeting his recent performances, Kohli is still work in progress. But he is young, ambitious and has the youth appeal - all qualities of the UB Group's target audience.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab have decided not to retain any of their players, while all the other IPL franchises have held back at least one current player. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, the 2010 finalists, have retained the maximum of four players each, in the process parting with half of the $9 million salary cap available to teams.
According to the auction rules for IPL 4, teams can retain up to four players, only three of whom can be Indians. The retained players - who must have been part of the franchise's registered squads for the 2010 season - will be valued at $1.8 million for the first player, $1.3 million for the second, $900,000 for the third and $500,000 for the fourth.
Mumbai, as expected, held on to Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run-scorer of the 2010 season, offspinner Harbhajan Singh, West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard and Sri Lanka seamer Lasith Malinga. Chennai took the Indian trio of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and M Vijay out of the auction, in addition to South African allrounder Albie Morkel, their regular opening bowler. Delhi Daredevils retained only Virender Sehwag, meaning Gambhir - their captain for the last two seasons - is in the auction pool.
The retained players
Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga
Chennai: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, M Vijay, Albie Morkel
Rajasthan: Shane Warne, Shane Watson
Delhi: Virender Sehwag
Bangalore: Virat Kohli
The most interesting choice came from Royal Challengers Bangalore whose sole retention is Virat Kohli, currently on an impressive run in ODIs. There is no place for Dravid, their icon player, nor for Anil Kumble, their captain and the head of the state association. Kolkata's decision to drop Sourav Ganguly, the biggest cricketing name to emerge from the city and the face of the franchise's on-field persona, is a bold step.
Punjab's decision to release all their players was expected following their dismal 2010 season, which means Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Yuvraj Singh will go under the hammer.
Siddhartha Mallya, owner of the Bangalore franchise, said the decision to retain just one player was backed by financial logic. "You must realise that with retention, a big chunk of your budget gets taken away," Mallya told ESPNcricinfo. " Mumbai and Chennai have kept four players, which means that half their budget is gone. It finally comes down to how much money one was going to lose. We have a big balance sheet but we have lost $1.8 million for keeping one player. We still have about $7-odd million left but if we had retained four then we would have had to buy virtually an entire squad with the remaining half."
Age is not a universal disqualification. It didn't count in Tendulkar's case, nor in that of Shane Warne, Rajasthan's coach and captain, who was retained by Rajasthan Royals, along with Shane Watson, a day ahead of the deadline. One franchise official explained the difference: "Warne is a global brand so that only helps to promote the franchise."
If Rajasthan opted for Warne because they have always viewed the IPL as a global brand, Mumbai went with Tendulkar and Harbhajan for their popularity. Pollard and Malinga may have made the cut on account of being impact players, who have backed up their strong Twenty20 credentials with consistent performance.
Sehwag's match-winning abilities, coupled with his rapid emergence as a brand, clearly had a say in Delhi's decision to retain him. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina must have been shoo-ins for Chennai following their compelling IPL and international form. Vijay's performances, coupled with his potential to attract a strong local fan-base, must have tilted the scales in his favour, while Morkel's proven all-round skills were always going to be an asset. If there is a stranger in this crowd, it could be Kohli. Despite his owners trumpeting his recent performances, Kohli is still work in progress. But he is young, ambitious and has the youth appeal - all qualities of the UB Group's target audience.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Magical Laxman seals thrilling one-wicket win
India 405 (Tendulkar 98, Raina 86, Johnson 5-64) and 216 for 9 (Laxman 73*, Hilfenhaus 4-57, Bollinger 3-32) beat Australia 428 (Watson 126, Paine 92, Zaheer 5-94) and 192 (Watson 56, Ishant 3-34, Zaheer 3-43) by 1 wicket
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
VVS Laxman pulls during his match-winning innings, 1st Test, Mohali, India v Australia, 5th day, October 5, 2010
Australia ran into VVS Laxman once again © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Features : 'These situations get the best out of me' - Laxman
News : A special innings from Laxman - Dhoni
Analysis : Australia's unfortunate dozen, and India's favourite venue
Analysis : India's Atlas, Australia's nemesis
Analysis : Ishant's attitude wins hearts
News : Ponting defends Smith's throw of the dice
News : We were wary of Laxman - Ponting
Bulletin : Australia sniff victory after fluctuating day
Audio/Video: Australia's batting a worry
Players/Officials: Doug Bollinger | Ben Hilfenhaus | VVS Laxman | Ishant Sharma
Matches: India v Australia at Mohali
Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India [Sep-Oct 2010]
Teams: Australia | India
VVS Laxman overcame his sore back to become the hero of a nail-biting one-wicket victory for India, who retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in dramatic fashion in Mohali. In one of the most memorable finishes in recent history, Pragyan Ojha picked up two leg-byes off Mitchell Johnson to seal the result, which until that delivery could also have been a tie or an Australian win.
The match was firmly in Australia's grasp when the No. 10 Ishant Sharma joined Laxman with 92 runs still required, but the pair ground Australia down and left a dejected Ricky Ponting still winless as a Test captain in India. The visitors' hopes were raised again when Ben Hilfenhaus (4 for 57) trapped Ishant lbw - although the ball would have missed leg stump - with 11 runs needed.
In the final, chaotic scenes, Australia continued to attack, desperate for one wicket. They thought they had it two balls before the winning runs were struck, when Mitchell Johnson rapped Ojha on the pads only to have a strong lbw shout denied. Adding to the commotion, Ojha wandered out of his crease and a throw from gully that would have found him short missed the stumps and ran away for four overthrows.
When the winning leg-byes arrived, the Indian players streamed onto the field as the Australians thrust hands on heads. For sheer on-field tension, the finish ranked up there with Australia's last-minute SCG win of 2007-08. But that match was overshadowed by claims of poor sportsmanship; this time there should be no such post-script.
On that occasion Ishant was the last man out as the sun set over Sydney; in Mohali he was every bit as important as Laxman, with a defiant innings of 31 in their partnership of 81. But Laxman was the star. The Australians will wonder how they let such a golden opportunity slip; the answer lies in the hands, or wrists, of one of their chief tormentors of recent years.
Entering the final day, Ponting's men feared Sachin Tendulkar, who went to stumps unbeaten on 10, much more than they were concerned about Laxman. They knew that in the first innings VVS had been very, very sore. He'd batted at No. 10, with a runner, and was hampered in his strokeplay. Two days later, the man with the most unique initials in cricket was very, very stubborn.
Again he had a runner, Suresh Raina, but just as important were the eight boundaries he struck in his 73, which came from 79 deliveries. Had he not started to farm the strike in the dying stages, he would have finished with a strike-rate of more than 100 for only the fourth time in his 188 Test innings.
Smart Stats
* This was India's first one-wicket victory in Tests and the 12th such result overall. India's two closest victories previously were by a margin of two wickets, both coming against Australia.
* This was the 17th occasion when India has won a Test after conceding a lead. In eight of these matches, they have batted second and on the other nine occasions, they have batted first. Nine of these victories have come against Australia.
* The 81-run partnership for the ninth wicket between VVS Laxman and Ishant Sharma was the second-highest against Australia, behind the 89-run stand between Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan in 2004. It was also the second-highest ninth-wicket stand for India in the fourth innings of Tests.
* During that 81-run stand, Ishant played 71% of the total deliveries (92 out of 130).
* Laxman is one of the few batsmen who averages more in the second innings in Tests. He averages 45.67 in the first innings, but 50.47 with five centuries in the second innings.
* India have a win-loss ratio of 4.00 in Mohali, the best among all home venues that have hosted ten or more matches.
* Sachin Tendulkar became the only batsman to aggregate 1000 runs in a calendar year for the sixth time, surpassing Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara and Matthew Hayden, who have done so on five occasions each.
Laxman flicked the ball through gaps and was always looking to counterattack as Ponting continued to set aggressive fields. His approach was critical, for Australia had all the momentum in the hour before lunch when Doug Bollinger, who did not take the field after lunch due to abdominal stiffness, made two breakthroughs, including the key wicket of Tendulkar for 38.
But try as they might, Australia under Ponting simply haven't been able to close out a victory in India. In 2008 he was over-defensive, failing to push for wickets and grab opportunities when they arose. This time Ponting didn't do much wrong; Laxman was just too good.
India began the day needing 161 runs and for an hour they were cruising, as Tendulkar and Laxman brought the target down with a rapidity that alarmed Ponting. Nathan Hauritz had picked up the night-watchman Zaheer Khan, caught at slip, but was leaking runs and when he conceded 14 off an over, Ponting knew the fast men were his only option.
Cheers went around the ground as Tendulkar passed 1000 Test runs in a calendar year for the sixth time in his career, and it seemed that he was destined to deliver India to victory. But his desire to score quickly brought his undoing, when he tried to cut Bollinger over the cordon to the vacant third-man region.
The ball was too close to his body and he steered it to gully, where Michael Hussey grabbed the sharp chance. Tendulkar was gone, and the atmosphere cooled down slightly as the runs began to dry up. Then came the second big moment of joy for Australia, when the presence of a runner cost MS Dhoni his wicket.
Laxman drove Bollinger to mid-on and his runner Raina took off for what should have been a comfortable single. But Dhoni appeared confused by Laxman remaining in his ground and the hesitation was enough to give hope to the fielder Hilfenhaus, whose superb direct hit at the striker's end finished Dhoni's stay on 2.
When Bollinger's fast, well-directed bouncer had a fending Harbhajan Singh caught at slip two balls later, Australia were in control. Laxman and Ishant had other ideas, and the rest is history. The great shame is that this is only a two-match series.
