India thrash Australia by 7 wickets to clinch series

BANGALORE - India Wednesday thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the second cricket Test to make a clean sweep of the series and win the Border-Gavakar Trophy at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium here Wednesday.

Set to score 207, batting maestro Sachin Tendukar (53) and Rahul Dravid (21) scored an unbeaten 61 runs for the fourth wicket to see the team through. With that India won both Tests — the first by a wicket, and the secod by seven wickets.

After the quick exit of dashing opener Virender Sehwag (7), Murali Vijay (37) and Test debutant Cheteshwar Pujara steered the Indian second innings with a 72-run stand for the second wicket.

Pujara scored a fluent 72 with seven fours before being bowled by off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.

Earlier, resuming at overnight 202 for seven, Australia’s second innings folded up quickly with tail-enders perishing in a span of five overs.

Indian speedster Zaheer Khan packed off Mitchell Johnson for 11 and Peter George for a duck, caught behind by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, while pacer S. Sreesanth bowled Ben Hilfenhaus for a duck.

Zaheer and spinner Pragyan Ojha took three wickets each, while Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh snared two each.

With a 17-run lead from the first innings, India began chasing 207, looking to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In reply to Australia’s 478, India made 495 in the first innings with Tendulkar scoring a double century

India won the first Test at Mohali by one wicket.