Aussies surrender to Laxman's heroics

V V S Laxman battled severe back pain to single—handedly take India to a memorable victory over Australia with a gritty unbeaten 73 in a nail—biting first cricket Test here today.


Laxman, who reserved his best for the Australians, played almost a lone hand in India’s run chase of 216 as his experienced colleagues fell to poor shot selection and umpiring error as he guided India to one of its most memorable Test victories.


Sachin Tendulkar was the second highest Indian scorer with 38 while young Ishant Sharma contributed an invaluable 31 in the Test which went down the wire.


With the victory today, India took an unassailable 1—0 lead in the series and retained the Border Gavaskar Trophy with their seventh highest run chase in history.


The the two sides now move to Bangalore for the second and final Test starting in Bangalore from October 9.


Laxman, who used runners in both of India’s innings, and Ishant shared an 81—run stand for the ninth wicket from 131 balls and that ensured India achieve what looked impossible when they were looking down the barrel at 124 for eight at one stage.


However with Ishant given a debatable leg before decision by umpire Ian Gould, it was a tense last 15 minutes for the Indian supporters at the PCA Stadium before Laxman and Pragyan Ojha (five not out) took India to the magic score of 216.


India sealed victory with two leg byes got by Pragyan Ojha off Johnson to the wild celebrations at the dressing room and the stands.


Laxman faced just 79 balls for his unbeaten 73 which he made with the help of eight fours while Ishant consumed 92 balls for his 31.


It was indeed a ‘Very Very Special’ knock from a man who who was not even being able to walk properly for the last two days due to back spasms. Each and every of those 73 runs he scored has worth its weight in gold.


Laxman batted only in the manner he is capable of. The backfoot punches through the cover, the short—arm pulls, extra second he takes while hitting those silken boundaries, those supple wrists and egging the Ishant Sharmas and Pragyan Ojhas to run the singles and twos was worth a sight.


But for Ishant, Laxman would not have completed the magnificent win. Having bowled 14 no—balls, being down with a hamstring injury, Ishant may have scored the most significant 31 runs in his career.


When some of the top-order batsman lacked stomach for fight, Ishant concentrated like a saint to give Laxman the necessary support that he needed to pull off a Herculean act.


Needing 161 for a win with six wickets intact when they started batting in the morning, Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan (10) started in a positive manner before trouble began.


Rather than trying to defend in the first hour, both were keen on playing their shots. While Tendulkar hit some well-timed boundaries off Nathan Hauritz, Zaheer ran a couple and a few singles to keep the scoreboard ticking.


Zaheer hung around for half an hour before he was done in a by straighter one from Hauritz as he tried to play for the turn. Michael Clarke took an easy catch in the slips.


In came Laxman and the manner in which he started, it never looked that he has been suffering from back spasms and was in unbearable pain for the last couple of days.


He announced his arrival with back-to-back boundaries off Hauritz. First a cover drive and then a back foot punch through extra cover. The best shot was a backfoot punch off Bollinger which was hit with minimum fuss.


Laxman and Tendulkar added 43 runs in only 6.1 overs and it looked that the home side were taking control of the proceedings.


Tendulkar played 64 balls hitting five boundaries in the process. Just before the first drinks break of the morning session, Tendulkar tried an ambitious upper-cut of a Bollinger delivery that rose from length. He did not get the required elevation and Mike Hussey took a smart catch at gully.


Tendulkar’s wicket was exactly the shot in the arm Aussies needed. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was run-out for two when he hesitated before responding to Laxman’s runner Suresh Raina’s call for a single.


Ben Hilfenhaus ran from mid-off to mid on and threw down the stumps at the batsman’s end with Dhoni couple of yards short of his ground. Harbhajan Singh also did not last long gloving a Bollinger short ball to Ricky Ponting at second slips.


Keywords: India-Australia Test series