India win Bangalore Test by seven wickets and sweep series 2-0 here today.
India has won Bangalore Test by seven wickets and swept the series 2-0 against Australia here at the Chinnaswamy staidum in Bangalore today.
ADVERTISEMENT
Debutant Cheteshwar Pujara hit a fluent 72 as India moved to the verge of winning the second cricket Test against Australia on Wednesday.
The hosts, set 207 runs to win on a wearing wicket in a minimum of 77 overs, went to tea on the fifth and final day at a comfortable 185-3 in their second innings at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.
Veteran Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten half-century and Rahul Dravid was on 21 not out.
The hosts had won the dramatic first Test in Mohali by one wicket.
Tendulkar, who hit a double-century in the first innings, lofted off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for two consecutive sixes just before tea.
Pujara and opener Murali Vijay put on 72 for the second wicket to revive India after the accomplished Virender Sehwag was dismissed in the third over for seven.
Sehwag edged Ben Hilfenhaus to wicket-keeper Tim Paine, one delivery after smashing a four to the point boundary.
Pujara, who was promoted to number three in place of Dravid, then added 57 for the third wicket with Tendulkar before he was bowled by Hauritz.
The 22-year-old, awarded a Test cap only because Venkatsai Laxman was injured, hit seven boundaries during his two-hour stint at the crease.
Pujara, who fell for four in the first innings to a delivery that kept low, began with two exquisite cover drives off Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson.
He then drove Hauritz to the mid-off fence to bring up the 50 of the innings.
Pujara continued in the same vein, once getting five runs on an overthrow as he charged down for a sharp single.
Vijay too kept the scoreboard ticking with two cuts over third man, before he fell leg-before to Shane Watson after making 37.
Australia, starting the day with a lead of 185 runs with three wickets in hand, were earlier all out for 223 in their second innings an hour into the morning session.
Johnson, who put on 32 for the eighth wicket with Hauritz, was bowled by Zaheer Khan for 11 after the pair had added 15 runs to the overnight score of 202-7.
One run later, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth bowled Hilfenhaus for no score, before Zaheer had last man Peter George caught behind by wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Hauritz remained unbeaten on 21.
Zaheer and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha finished with three wickets each, while Sreesanth and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh claimed two each.
u00a0
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
