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Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008
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India overpowers Australia

S. Ram Mahesh

Takes Test series 2-0, climbs to No. 2 spot, gives fitting farewell to Sourav Ganguly

— PHOTO: S. Subramanium

Champagne time: India registered a handsome 172-run victory over Australia in the fourth cricket Test to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur on Monday. The 2-0 defeat is Australia’s biggest under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy. The match also marked the end of Sourav Ganguly’s eventful international career.

Nagpur: India regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Monday, overpowering world champion Australia by 172 runs in the fourth Test here at the VCA Stadium to win the series 2-0.

Australia, set 382 for victory, was bowled out for 209 before tea on the final day. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (four for 64) and leg-spinner Amit Mishra (three for 27) shared the spoils, after Ishant Sharma, who has been in marvellous form, and was later named Man of the Series, made the breakthroughs.

Matthew Hayden resisted with 77, briefly threatening the well-being of the home side, but India wasn’t to be denied.

The victory was a fitting farewell to Sourav Ganguly, under whom India regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2001 and retained it in 2003.

With this resounding series win, India climbed to the No. 2 spot in the Test rankings.

“This is bigger than the India-Pakistan rivalry, this is the series everyone looks to win,” said M.S. Dhoni. “We were motivated, we had plans, and we executed them well. The fast-bowlers did the trick for us this series, bowling consistently well whenever we required them to do it.”

Dhoni and Kumble, who shared the captaincy in the series, received the trophy from Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar amidst scenes of wild cheering from the best crowd of the Test.

There was some consolation for Australia — off-spinner Jason Krejza, who took 12 wickets on debut, was adjudged the Man of the Match.

“It’s a pretty fair result,” admitted Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain. “I thought we played well in Bangalore, but after that we have been chasing our tails. India has dominated the series since then, winning in Mohali and winning here. Their cricket has been of high quality.”

Editorial: Rewriting cricket equations

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Images: India bags Border-Gavaskar trophy

Images: Ganguly retires from Test cricket

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