India run home winners over http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 at Bangalore
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 won the second and the final Test match against Australia at Bangalore by beating their opponents by seven wickets on the final day’s play. India needed to chase down 207 for a win and they did so
for the loss of only three wickets.
Chasing 207 for the win, India lost http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virender-Sehwag-c95429 early to his nemesis, Ben Hilfenhaus. However, Cheteshwar Pujara, who was making his debut batted like a matured batsman playing in his 20th game. He batted
alongside Murali Vijay to add 72 for the second wicket before Vijay was declared lbw off the bowling of Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326.
Sachin Tendulkar came into bat following his double century in the first innings and his was a calming influence on the debutant Pujara’s nerves. Soon, Pujara got to his maiden half-century and followed it
up with some crisp batting against Nathan Hauritz.
Pujara could have got to his century as well but an excellent delivery from Hauritz saw the ball drift and take the off-stump. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rahul-c83321 Dravid joined Tendulkar and saw the team off to a facile win. Tendulkar
remained unbeaten on 53.
Earlier, the Aussies had scored a near-invincible 478 in the first innings of the Test match thanks to a century by Marcus North. India had then slumped to 38/2 and at that stage it had looked like the Aussies
had a good chance of upsetting the Indian applecart. However, Sachin Tendulkar and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Murali-Vijay-c78035 had then got together and added a mammoth 308-run partnership for the fourth wicket to bring the side back into the game.
India collapsed soon after that to take only a 17-run lead over the Aussies. In their second essay, Australia started off as well as they have in the series and had 58 added for the first wicket. However,
after the loss of the first wicket of Shane Watson, it was only Ponting that held firm as the rest of the side capitulated to 223 all out. India were left with 207 runs to get.
This defeat also meant that the Aussies are now ranked fifth in the ICC Test match rankings. This is the lowest that they have ever been ranked and it would mean that they will start the Ashes below England.
England is currently ranked fourth in the world. India leads the pack, a ranking that they had got after beating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 2-0 at home earlier this year.
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