Match report: Ind vs Aus – 1st Test, Day 5
First Published : 26 Feb 2013, 11:30
Last Modified : 26 Feb 2013, 15:25
After India lost both their openers while chasing a 50-run target, Sachin Tendulkar and Cheteshwar Pujara took them to an eight-wicket victory at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The home team now leads the four-match series 1-0.
Chasing the paltry total on the final day, Murali Vijay was the first to walk back to the pavilion with 16 runs on the board. The opener was attempting to drive James Pattinson and was caught by Moises Henriques at mid-off to return for six runs. His dismissal brought in Cheteshwar Pujara to join Virender Sehwag, and the duo was inching towards the target with ease when the veteran opener was dismissed by Nathan Lyon for 19.
With the 14 runs short of the target, Sachin Tendulkar came to the crease and struck two sixes off the first two balls he faced and took India within earshot of the target. The master batsman dispatched the first delivery he faced off Lyon over long-on and then meted out the same treatment to the next one to bring India to 48/2. Taking a single of the last ball of the over, he leveled the scores and kept strike. But Peter Siddle denied India victory in the next over by bowling a maiden to Tendulkar. Pujara then edged Lyon past the wicketkeeper and slip to seal the match for India.
Earlier, after denying India an innings win on the penultimate day, Australia resumed their second innings on 232 for nine on the last day. Moises Henriques and Nathan Lyon added nine runs in the morning to set India a 50-run target to win, before Ravindra Jadeja ended the partnership. Less than half an hour into the fifth morning, the left-arm spinner took an edge of Lyon’s bat that flew straight to Murali Vijay at short-leg. Debutant Henriques remained unbeaten on 81 as India wrapped up the Australian innings for 241.
Man of the Match: MS Dhoni for his maiden double-century that decisively swung the Test in India’s favour.
Brief scores:
At the end of Day 5: Australia 2nd innings 241 all out in 93 overs (M Henriques 81*, N Lyon 11, R Jadeja 3/72); India 2nd innings 50/2 in 11.3 overs (V Sehwag 19, SR Tendulkar 13*, C Pujara 8*)
At the end of Day 4: India 1st innings 572 all out in 154.3 overs (MS Dhoni 224, B Kumar 38, J Pattinson 5/96); Australia 2nd innings 232/9 in 84 overs (M Henriques 75*, N Lyon 8*, R Ashwin 5/90, H Singh 2/55)
At the end of Day 3: India 1st innings 515/8 in 141 overs (MS Dhoni 206*, V Kohli 107, SR Tendulkar 81, N Lyon 3/182)
At the end of Day 2: Australia 1st innings 380 all out in 133 overs (M Clarke 130, R Ashwin 7/103); India 1st innings 182/3 in 52 overs (SR Tendulkar 71*, V Kohli 50*, C Pujara 44, J Pattinson 3/25)
At the end of Day 1: Australia 1st innings 316/7 in 95 overs (M Clarke 103*, M Henriques 68, D Warner 59, R Ashwin 6/88)
