Swing bowler Ajit Agarkar took a career-best 6-41 yesterday to set up an intriguing climax to the second cricket test at the Adelaide Oval.
India, needing 230 runs for a famous victory in Australia, was 37 without loss at stumps, and required 193 in a minimum of 90 overs on the final day today.
By the close of play, openers Akash Chopra and Virender Sehwag were unbeaten on 10 and 25 runs respectively, having hit six fours between them.
In an uncharacteristic batting display, Australia collapsed sensationally for 196 all out, losing their last five wickets for just 13 runs in seven overs.
Agarkar cut a swathe through the Australian batting with 4-4 in 19 balls after starting the innings with the prized wickets of opener Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting.
Ponting, who hit a career-best 242 in the first innings, lasted 17 balls, and fell for a duck.
Agarkar's best in his previous 17 tests was 3-43 against Australia the last time India toured here in 1999.
But the day belonged to part-time legspinner Sachin Tendulkar, who put behind his disappointing form with the bat to take the crucial wickets of Damien Martyn (38) and skipper Steve Waugh (42) before tea. Tendulkar took 2-1 in seven balls to finish with 2-36.
The two scalps were crucial in the context of the match after the pair put on 65 runs after losing three quick wickets.
Australia would have been in even deeper trouble but for a punishing 71-run stand in under an hour between Simon Katich (31) and Adam Gilchrist (43) to lift the side from 112 for five.
Gilchrist, who survived a stumping when teenage wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel fumbled an Anil Kumble delivery, hammered two sixes and four fours off 45 balls before the legspinner bowled him behind his legs.
Earlier, Rahul Dravid hit a career-best 233 runs to help his side narrow the first innings gap to just 33 runs.
In reply to Australia's 556, India slumped to 80 for four before recovering through a 303-run stand between Dravid and Venkatsai Laxman (148) to score 523.
It was a combination of poor shots and the eagerness to set up a victory that led to Australia's second innings capitulation.
After 1,033 runs were scored for the loss of 17 wickets on the first three days, 13 wickets fell yesterday, to set up what would be India's first win in Australia since the 59-run victory on a crumbling MCG wicket in February 1981.
A win would give India a 1-0 lead going into the third test of the four-match series. India hasn't won a series outside the subcontinent since beating England 2-0 in 1986.
Though India's victory target does not look imposing, history suggests otherwise.
Only three teams have won by scoring over 200 runs in the fourth innings in 62 tests at Adelaide Oval.
Clive Lloyd's all-conquering West Indies was the last side to successfully chase here, when they won by five wickets after needing 235 to win the third test in 1981.
Waugh, playing his final test series before retiring, hit eight fours and fell to the last ball before the break.
Resuming the day on 199, Dravid, 30, cut the first ball of the day to the point boundary to post his second double century outside India. It was also the highest individual innings by an Indian on foreign soil beating former skipper Sunil Gavaskar's 221.
This was after he shared 303 runs for the fifth-wicket with Venkatsai Laxman (148) to rescue India from a precarious 80 for four.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and