Indians thrash Aussies by record margin in Mohali

MOHALI (India), Oct 21: A sizzling spell by Zaheer Khan in the second Test here on Tuesday helped India to a crushing 320-run win against Australia and go 1-0 up in the four-Test series.

The left-arm paceman, 30, picked up three wickets in four deliveries on the fifth and final day to wrap up the Australian second innings on 195 with more than two sessions to spare.

This was India’s biggest Test win by runs ever, bettering the 280-run mark against South Africa in 1996.

For Australia, it was only their second defeat in 28 Tests since their 2-1 loss in the 2005 Ashes series against England, and the biggest against India since Melbourne in 1977.

“We were outplayed in all departments of the game,” Australian skipper Ricky Ponting admitted.

“They were terrific right since the first morning. The way they batted in the first session, they took away the momentum from us. After that we were just fighting to get back into the game.

“Any team that bats, bowls and also fields so well, you have to match up to that but we were not good in any aspect of the game, be it fast bowling, slow bowling or batting.”

Zaheer’s effort capped an outstanding performance by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (3-36) and fast bowler Ishant Sharma (2-42) who gave India the crucial breakthroughs on Monday.

The Indians also owed the win to their batsmen, who piled up 469 in their first innings before declaring on 314-3 in the second.

The retiring Saurav Ganguly struck 102, Sachin Tendulkar a record-breaking 88 and stand-in skipper Mahendra Dhoni a sparkling 92 to lay the winning platform for the hosts.

The Australians struggled with the bat on a surface that Indian batsmen thrived on, the only saving grace being Shane Watson’s knock. Their bowlers, led by an off-colour Brett Lee, also looked clueless against the Indian run machine.

Dhoni, named Man-of-the-Match, said the victory was very satisfying as every member of the team made some contribution.

“We are relishing this win as it was a result of a great team effort,” he said.

“It is not every day that you see an Australian side struggling. When they were 22 after 13 overs in the first innings, I asked Rahul [Dravid] to look at the scoreboard.

“I told him I don’t think we will be able to see Aussies score at just two odd runs an over again. They are the number one side in the world and we expect them to come back strongly in the next Test.”

Resuming the day on a wobbly 141-5 while chasing an insurmountable target of 516, the Australians tried to delay the inevitable but not for long.

Zaheer struck in his very first over of the day, removing overnight batsman Brad Haddin (37) with a ball that crashed into the middle and off-stump.

The bowler, Man-of-the-Match in the drawn Bangalore Test for his exploits with the bat and the ball, followed it up with two wickets in two balls in his very next over.

Cameron White (1) tried to go for an expansive drive but ended up getting an outside edge which was taken by Dhoni diving to his right behind the stumps.

Lee, in the headlines for a reported tiff with Ponting, saw his off-stump uprooted by a searing delivery that nipped in sharply.

Michael Clarke (69), who put on 84 runs for the sixth-wicket stand with Haddin, tried to defy the fired-up Indian attack, reaching his ninth Test half-century in process.

But he was the last man out when he edged one to Virender Sehwag off debutant leg-spinner Amit Mishra who finished with seven wickets.

The third Test of the series will be played in New Delhi from Oct 29-Nov 2 followed by the fourth and final Test in Nagpur (Nov 6-10).

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings) 469 (S.C. Ganguly 102, M.S. Dhoni 92, S.R. Tendulkar 88, G. Gambhir 67).

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 268 (S.R. Watson 78, M.E.K. Hussey 54; A. Mishra 5-71).

INDIA (2nd Innings) 314-3 declared (G. Gambhir 104, V. Sehwag 90, M.S. Dhoni 68 not out).

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 141-5):

M.L. Hayden lbw b Harbhajan 29

S.M. Katich c Tendulkar b Harbhajan 20

R.T. Ponting b Sharma 2

M.E.K. Hussey lbw b Harbhajan 1

M.J. Clarke c Sehwag b Mishra 69