India now be Champion,-not Challenger

Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra combined for seven wickets as India handed Australia just its second series defeat in three years, completing a 172-run victory Monday to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar cricket trophy 2-0.

The top-ranked Australians were dismissed for 209 in 50.2 overs just before tea on the last day, chasing an unlikely 382 to win the fourth and final Test and force a 1-1 series draw.

Spinners Harbhajan (4-64) and Mishra (3-27) built on the fine early work of paceman Ishant Sharma, who took 2-31, and only when opener Matthew Hayden plundered 77 did the Indians look in any danger of giving up their advantage.

India, which last held the Border-Gavaskar trophy in 2004, took the lead in the series with an emphatic, 320-run victory in the second Test in Mohali last month.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's captain-elect following the retirement of Anil Kumble after the third Test, said the series win over Australia was a fitting farewell to international cricket for Kumble and Sourav Ganguly, another former captain.

"It's very important. It's one of the series everybody was looking up to. It's more than the India-Pakistan rivalry right now," he said. "It was important to catch the moment."

Ganguly, who bowed out with 85 and 0, said it was time to step down and he was happy to exit on a high.

"We played outstandingly to win 2-0 against the best team in the world, it is very, very satisfying," he said.

Australia's only other recent Test series defeat occurred in England in 2005 when Ricky Posting's lineup handed over the Ashes for the first time in almost two decades.

"It's been a fair result, to tell you the truth," Ponting said. "From the start of the second Test in Mohali, we've been chasing our tails and India deserve the 2-0 result.

"It would have been an unbelievable run-chase if we could have got there today - with wearing wickets and good spinners, and fast bowlers doing their job, after lunch we were out of the game. We weren't good enough here or in Mohali."

The Australians, who resumed Monday at 13-0, needed the fourth-highest successful chase in Test history to pull off a series-tying win and began wanting 369 runs in 90 overs.

They scored 98 in the first session but lost three wickets by lunch - including two in the first six overs - and another seven went after the break.

When Hayden and Michael Hussey were sharing a bright 68-run stand for the fourth wicket Australia had a slim chance of staying in touch, but they were removed in consecutive overs to leave the tourists struggling at 154-5.

Hussey received a sharp delivery from Mishra's first over and the ball lobbed to Rahul Dravid at first slip.

Hayden's cavalier innings came to an end when he was lbw to a quicker ball from Harbhajan in the next over.

The opener had stroked eight fours and a big six over long-on during his 93-ball innings, but needed more help from his partners to push Australia closer to the formidable total.

Things improved for India when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (4) chipped to Sachin Tendulkar at mid-on, giving Mishra his second wicket and Tendulkar his 100th test catch.

Australia then lost 7-59 and the match ended when Harbhajan got an lbw decision against No. 11 Mitchell Johnson.

"We've been totally outplayed," Ponting said. "With the exception of the first test in Bangalore, in every other game we've got back to level and never got in front.

"Coming here on the third morning I was really upbeat at where the game was going, then India adapted a certain style of play and made it difficult to score and chipped in with a few wickets."

Sharma, who was man of the series for his 15 wickets, was the best of the bowlers in the morning session, but it was Mishra and Harbhajan who created the most trouble.

Sharma struck in the fifth over when opener Simon Katich (16) skied an attempted pull shot and wicketkeeper Dhoni took a running catch in front of his slips.

Australia's situation worsened in the next over when Ponting (8) was run out by Mishra's direct hit and Clarke followed for 22 before lunch.

Australia will play New Zealand in a two-Test series starting next week and India will host England in seven limited-overs internationals and two Tests.

Gilchrist told Sachin: "Bad Sport"

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has attempted to defuse the tension between the Indian and Australian cricket teams over the reported remarks by the former stumper Adam Gilchrist, by stating that the retired player had called him on the phone to clarify his position. Tendulkar was quoted by a television channel as stating that Gilchrist had called him to clarify that remarks attributed to be a part of his autobiography "True Colors" were taken out of context and reported. "Gilchrist called me up and clarifed the whole matter," Sachin told Times Now Television from Pune while reiterating that his comments were taken out of proportion. The Australian stumper, who questioned Sachin's role in the Monkeygate scam involving Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh, came out with a clarification last evening after angry remarks from the cricket establishment in India. Gilchrist said that he would come out with a statement clarifying his position on the matter that incidentally was pooh-poohed away by members of the touring Aussie team in India with Shane Watson telling CNN-IBN that the former stumper's views were his own and had no bearing on the ongoing tour or cricketing relations between the two teams.
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Sachin is Sachin

The family man beneath the champion cricketer came to the fore again and Sachin Tendulkar said he missed his deceased father after eclipsing Brian Lara's world record for most runs in Test cricket's history.
Once he reached the mark, Tendulkar took off his helmet and looked upwards, as if muttering a silent prayer.
"When I looked up, I had two thoughts in my mind. First I thanked the almighty for all he has given to me. Then I thanked my father. Today I miss him. Definitely he would have been a proud man today," Tendulkar said.
On this momentous occasion, none of his family members was around and the batting great explained, his family members don't believe in public display of emotions.
"I don't play for records and it's not that everyone has to be around. We'll celebrate. They all value this, they all must be extremely happy for me, I know. But it's not my family style to go over the top. As long as I know their feeling, it's important and I know that everyone must be extremely happy for me." Asked how his son would celebrate the feat, Tendulkar said, "Well, I'm not sure because he always surprises me." Tendulkar said today's historic feat was one of the proudest moments of his career.
"Of course it is. I mean whenever the team wins or does well, it's a fantastic feeling. Of course there was some excitement in mind but I had a big task ahead. It was an important knock for when I went into bat, we had lost three wickets in no time. It was important to get a partnership," Tendulkar said, of his 142-run stand with Sourav Ganguly.
It has finally happened. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has surpassed Brian Lara as the leading run-getter in Test cricket history.
It was almost destined that Tendulkar achieved the feat against his favourite opposition - Australia - against who he has amassed 9 Test centuries and over 2000 runs.
Tendulkar has become the 10th batsman in Test match history to hold the world record. Here is the list:-
Batsman Final Tally Record set Record held for C Hill (Australia) 3412 July 1902 22y-4m

JB Hobbs (England) 5410 Dec 1924 12y-6m

WR Hammond (England) 7249 June 1937 33y-5m

MC Cowdrey (England) 7624 Nov 1970 1y-4m

GS Sobers (West Indies) 8032 Mar 1972 9y-9m

G Boycott (England) 8114 Dec 1981 1y-11m

SM Gavaskar (India) 10112 Nov 1983 9y-3m

A Border (Australia) 11174 Feb 1993 12y-9m

BC Lara (West Indies) 11953 Nov 2005 2y-11m

SR Tendulkar (India) ????? Oct 2008

Allan Border held the record for the most number of years (in recen times). How long would Tendulkar hold on to it? Only time will tell.
Interestingly, when on 23 runs (on Monday) Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run scorer for a single team. Brian Lara has scored 11912 runs for West Indies alone. It may be recalled that Lara scored 5 & 36 for the World XI vs Australia in the Super Test. Tendulkar however was not part of the World XI side for the Super Test.It's been a fantastic journey: Sachin Tendulkar

With special inputs from PTI-Mohali