Cricket: India win Mohali cliffhanger to go up 1-0 against Australia

Mangalore Today

Mohali, October 5, 2010: VVS Laxman, who was struggling with back spasms, remained unbeaten on 73 runs to guide India to a one-wicket win against Australia in the Mohali Test.

With this win, India have taken a 1-0 lead in the series. Chasing a target of 216 runs, Laxman and Ishant Sharma put up a match winning partnership of 44 runs for the ninth wicket.

Earlier, Doug Bollinger grabbed two wickets in the first session to keep alive Australia’s hopes of winning the opening Test against India on Tuesday. India had struggled to reach 162-8 at lunch on the fifth and final day after resuming their second innings at 55-4.

Bollinger dismissed Sachin Tendulkar (38), the world’s leading run-getter in both Tests and one-day internationals, in his second over of the morning.

Australia started the day with spin from one end and pace from the other, tasting the first success in the day’s seventh over when spinner Nathan Hauritz had nightwatchman Zaheer Khan (10) caught by Michael Clarke at first slip.

Fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, who rattled India with three big wickets in the final session on Monday, beat the bat on a few occasions in his opening spell on a wearing track but failed to find the edge.

Tendulkar took no risks and waited patiently for loose deliveries to punish, driving and flicking off-spinner Hauritz for two fours. He later steered Hilfenhaus past gully for another boundary.

Australia celebrated when Tendulkar cut Bollinger to gully, where Michael Hussey took a good catch. The Indian hit five fours in his 64-ball knock, completing 1,000 Test runs this year in the process.

Laxman started impressively, driving Hauritz through the covers for two fours in an over and then hitting Bollinger for another boundary.

Pressure became the name of the game when skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked in to bat, with his team needing 97 to win with only four wickets in hand.

Dhoni did not last long, making only two runs before being caught short of the crease by a direct-hit at the striker’s end from Hilfenhaus who ran in from mid-off to break the stumps.

Australia continued to maintain the pressure and soon dismissed tail-ender Harbhajan Singh, caught by skipper Ricky Ponting in the slips off Bollinger after contributing two runs.

The second and final Test starts in Bangalore on October 9.

Courtesy: NDTV