Cricket: India beat Australia by 8 wickets, Reclaim Border-Gavaskar trophy

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Dharamsala, Mar 28, 2017: India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Australia in the 4th and final Test in Dharamsala on Tuesday. Chasing a modest 106-run winning target, the hosts overcame a couple of stutters to duly post a victory to seal off the fiery series 2-1. Opener KL Rahul remained 51 not out while stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane hammered a rapid unbeaten 38 as hosts ended at 106 for two. They ensured there were no great alarms after India had lost Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara in quick succession.

After six weeks of drama, comebacks and controversies, India came out to be the ultimate winners and proved why the Men in Blue are the No.1 side in the world.

With 87 runs left to win on the fourth day of the final Test against Australia, the Indian batsmen did not take much time to chase down the target. It took them only 23.5 overs to take the game by 8 wickets and win the four-Test series.

India were rampant right from the start of the Test and without the regular skipper Virat Kohli, the Ajinkya Rahane-led team showed its mettle as a top class team.

While the batters did their job in both the innings, it was India’s bowling that ruled the roost in the Dharamsala Test. A terrific display of fast bowling from Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar left the Australians hopping on the ground.

The spinners then took charge to dismantle the rest of the visiting batting line-up.

Coming back from a loss and winning the series eventually makes this victory even more special with each and every member of the Virat Kohli- led team deserving the applause.

Smith’s side have fought incredibly hard with bat and ball throughout all four Tests, but their bid for the nation’s second Test series win in India since 1969 came unstuck on the 3rd day of the final game, when India resumed at 248-6.

While Australia looked like holding all the cards as India struggled to get off the ground,, it was a crucial seventh-wicket stand between Ravindra Jadeja and Wriddhiman Saha that made the difference as they somehow guided India to a crucial 32-run lead.

The Australians’ hopes of making a fist of it evaporated in their second innings after Umesh Yadav, Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin decimated their batting as they were dismissed for a paltry 137, leaving India with just 106 runs to get to win the Test and the series.