India wins Chennai Test by eight wickets

Chennai, Feb 26 (IANS) Sachin Tendulkar smashed two sixes off successive deliveries to hasten India’s eight-wicket victory in the first cricket Test against Australia at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here Tuesday.

India have gone one up in the four-Test series.

After removing the last Australian wicket for the addition of only nine more runs to their overnight score 232, India were left to score 50 to win. They attained it for the loss of openers Murali Vijay and Virender Sehwag cheaply for a second time in the match.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was adjudged man of the match for his brilliant 224 that helped India put on a mammoth 572 in the first innings in reply to Australia’s 380.

Debutant Moises Henriques was left 19 short of a well-deserved hundred when last man Nathan Lyon was caught bat-pad off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who finished with three for 72.

Ravichandran Ashwin bagged five for 95 to follow up his seven-wicket haul in Australia’s first innings.

Australia made it tough for the Indians to get to the meagre target. James Pattinson(1/13) struck to remove Vijay (6), Henriques pulling off a overhead stunner at mid-off.

Nathan Lyon (1/29) struck in the 10th over to get rid of Virender Sehwag (19), easily caught at slip by Michael Clarke.

The 39-year-old Tendulkar walked in at 36 for two and straightaway lofted Lyon for two consecutive sixes over mid-on and that left India two more runs to win.

Peter Siddle bowled a maiden next, and Pujara got the wining runs. The right-hand batsman got an edge and Wade failed to gather the ball that lobbed over a leaping Clarke at slip.

Lyon was left kicking the ground as celebrations broke out in the Indian dressing room.

The second Test begins in Hyderabad Saturday, and the last two Tests will be held in Mohali (March 14-18) and Delhi (March 22-26).

IANS 2013-02-26 13:00:06