Monday, January 30, 2012

Australia thrash India to complete series whitewash in Adelaide

Australia win by 298 runs and clinch series 4-0

Brad Haddin, centre, of Australia celebrates with Ricky Ponting after catching Umesh Yadav to clinch the series. Photograph: Brandon Malone/Reuters

Australia took India's last four wickets on Saturday morning to crush the tourists by 298 runs in the fourth test and record a 4-0 series sweep.

India had resumed on 166 for six in their second innings chasing an improbable 500 runs for victory but their tail-end batsmen lasted just 58 minutes on a hot and sunny fifth morning of the match.

The end came when the spinner Nathan Lyon (four for 63) dismissed Umesh Yadav caught behind for one, condemning India to a humiliating eighth successive overseas Test defeat after last year's 4-0 whitewash in England.

The series defeat in England saw India relinquish the top spot in the Test world rankings but they had arrived Australia confident they could claim a first series triumph there.

It was not even close as Australia won the first Test in Melbourne by 122 runs and followed that with victories by an innings and 68 runs in Sydney and an innings and 37 runs in Perth.

With world-class batsmen such as Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman having failed to fire yet again on Friday, there was little hope of India rescuing a draw by batting through the final day at the Adelaide Oval.

The nighwatchman Ishant Sharma was the first to go in the third over of the morning when he got a nick to a delivery from Ryan Harris and was caught behind without any addition to the overnight score.

Wriddhiman Saha, standing in as wicketkeeper for the banned India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was dismissed in the next over in similar style for three.

Zaheer Khan hit a typically bullish 15 off 18 balls before swinging at a short Ben Hilfenhaus delivery and getting a thick edge to David Warner at short cover, leaving Yadav and Ravi Ashwin (15 not out) as the final partnership.

No comments:

Post a Comment