Cricket: India defeats Australia by 72 runs in third test

January 20, 2008

India defeated Australia by 72 runs in the third test at the WACA, Perth, Australia yesterday.

India resumed their second innings on 1/52 at the beginning of the third day. Virender Sehwag (43) was bowled by Stuart Clark, and Rahul Dravid was caught behind off Brett Lee in the following over, having scored just three runs. Lee also dismissed Sachin Tendulkar lbw for 13 runs while Sourav Ganguly was caught by Michael Clarke at first slip for a duck. India reached 5/158 by the lunch break.

Irfan Pathan scored 46 runs before he was caught by Ricky Ponting, leaving India on 6/160. However V. V. S. Laxman (79) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (38) shared a 75-run partnership to bring India to 8/245 at tea. Laxman and R. P. Singh (30) shared a partnership of 51 runs before India were bowled all out for 294 runs, a lead of 413. Stuart Clark was the pick of the Australian bowlers, taking 4/61.

Australia played fifteen overs of their second innings on the third day, but were reduced to 2/43 after Irfan Pathan removed both opening batsmen. At the close of play Australia were 2/65.

Resuming their final innings on day four, Australia needed a further 348 runs to win. Ricky Ponting was the only batsman to be dismissed in the morning session, scoring 45 runs and sharing 74 with Michael Hussey. Hussey went on to make 46 before being dismissed lbw by R. P. Singh. Despite an innings of 81 from Michael Clarke and 50 from Mitchell Johnson, Australia were bowled out for 340 runs, 73 runs short of India's total.

Australia lead the four match Test series 2-1, with the final Test to be played in Adelaide starting on 24 January.