So ends another Test that will not see the daylight on the fifth day. The Test lasted barely two days. But make no mistake. The game was fraught with so many twists and turns to leave even the ardent fan flummoxed. Not exactly the ideal Test wicket, it provided enough drama to script a Bollywood saga. That it produced an outcome in India's favour, albeit by thirteen tantalizing runs, would most certainly be the silver lining given India's slim pickings thus far this season.

The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was the epitome of a dustbowl with as many as eighteen wickets falling on the second day. And to think rain on day one threatened to undo the Indian strategy to field a third spinner in Murali Karthik in addition to the tried and tested duo of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble! Then Damien Martyn's vital knock on day two and Michael Clarke's astounding bowling spell before tea on day three to derail the Indian batting virtually sealed India's fate! In the end, the Australia found the target of 107 and a pitch taking vicious spin too daunting and had to be content with a 2-1 series win for the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India's batting effort in the first innings could be best described as spineless as has been the case for the most of the series. The opening woes persisted albeit amidst some cloudy, seamer-friendly conditions on day one. But the morning session of the second day revealed a rather pathetic and shoddy batting display as the Indians caved in to a mere 104 by lunch. A team low on batting form and confidence can make an accurate and relentless bowling attack look lethal. Indians were again guilty of being impatient and susceptible and consequently, were the cause of their own demise. Jason Gillespie was well rewarded for his fine bowling display with four wickets, but it was Nathan Hauritz who was delightfully surprised, bagging three wickets in his first effort on Indian soil. The amount of turn took him by surprise as he scalped the three Indian spinners to hammer the final nails in the Indian first-innings coffin. Rahul Dravid stood steady, but like the previous Test, the Indian think-tank was guilty of not shifting gears in its stratagem and the snail-like defensive approach became its undoing.

 

The Australian attitude towards batting on the same deteriorating pitch was in contrast to the meek surrender of the Indians earlier the same day. Refusing to be ruffled by the lost of wickets at regular intervals, Australia continued to come hard at the Indians. The Indian spinners did well to apply the brakes everytime Australia threatened to let loose, but the huge sixes as a result of charging down the wickets by the cocky men from Down Under could not be prevented. With the series being won comfortably, they were in a buoyant mood. And it worked as Damien Martyn, with yet another half-century to his name, once again proved the pivot around which the Australian fortress stood impregnable. Harbhajan Singh's toil and sweat did not reap him wickets but perhaps it had also to do with the rather pitiable fielding of the butter-fingered Virender Sehwag. A belligerent Michael Clarke was given reprieve on two occasions but India's latest wicketkeeper Dinesh arthik's smart stumping off Anil Kumble put an end to hat. Anil Kumble once again came up trumps with his twenty-seventh five-wicket haul, but it was the ecstatic Murali Karthik who returned with four wickets.

A ninety-nine run lead is worth 150 on a more placid pitch. But the Indians finally stood up to be counted on day three. After Glenn McGrath dealt early telling bowlers by removing both the openers, Sachin Tendulkar forged a valuable ninety-one run partnership with V.V.S. Laxman that pulled India away from the deficit. Laxman, who was sent in ahead of Rahul Dravid, was definitely in danger of losing his place in the side after a dismal trot in the longer version of the game. But gutsy strokeplay fetched him sixty-nine runs worth their weight in gold and enough to secure his place. Nathan Hauritz took a brilliant catch off his own bowling but it was Michael Clarke who was Australia's stealth weapon as he put the full-stop to India's recovery with his left-arm bowling, with stupendous figures of six wickets in a little more than six overs, conceding a miserly nine runs. India's last six wickets fell for a paltry twenty-three runs and yesterday's prediction of India's favourable chances if they can put up a target of 150 fell short by fifty runs as India folded on 204.

Leap of triumph - Harbhajan Singh is delirious after taking the final wicket.

Zaheer Khan changed all that with a first-over wicket of Justin Langer to a ball that had appreciable bounce. As in the previous innings, Harbhajan Singh opened the bowling with Zaheer and the Australians seemed in the positive and assertive frame of mind as their drives kept piercing the infield. But it was Murali Karthik who destroyed Australia's hopes of making it 3-0 by striking twice in his first over.

The Australians were practically caught out of breath as they collapsed to forty-eight for the loss of six wickets. It seemed it was only a matter of time as the fat lady was singing herself hoarse from the stirred and animated stands. Or was she? The Australian tail attempted to pull off a Houdini and it nearly did! Harbhajan extinguished it eventually with a five-wicket haul.

There is no telling what effect a game like this could have had on the visitors had it been played early on in the series. For India, it would perhaps have given them just the incentive. Now it will prove a bit of a confidence-booster for the series to follow against South Africa. Having said that, there were opportunities galore with fair play for both teams right through the series. It was a tremendous achievement for Australia to conquer the inveterate Indians at home despite their captain being largely absent. India have only themselves to blame as they distinctly appeared soulless with the batting effort for much of the series. That the Australians were perhaps more hungry and more importantly, backed themselves to achieve the elusive summit made all the difference.