India seal whitewash

BANGALORE, India:

India wrapped up the Border-Gavaskar series 2-0 after beating Australia by seven wickets in the second and final Test at Bangalore.

Set 207 runs to win on the final day, India eased past the target shortly after tea, thanks to nerveless half-centuries from debutant Cheteshwar Pujara and Sachin Tendulkar.

Australia could only add 22 further runs in the morning session - their second-innings 223 all out - leaving India with ample time to push for a series-clinching win.

The result means Australia captain Ricky Ponting looks all-but certain to end his career having failed to win a Test match in India as skipper of his country.

After losing nine wickets in pursuit of the 216 victory target set in Mohali in the first Test, India knew they would have to apply themselves in the two and a half sessions they had to chase down the 207 runs required on the final day.

Pace bowler Ben Hilfenhaus (1-27) provided Australia's only breakthrough of the morning when he claimed the scalp of aggressive opener Virender Sehwag for just seven.

Steady innings

After being dropped in the gully by Mike Hussey in the previous over, Sehwag was sent on his way a few balls later when he steered straight to a diving Tim Paine behind the wicket.

First-innings centurion Murali Vijay and Pujara steadied the innings thereafter, taking India past 50 - at just above six runs an over - with an unbroken second-wicket stand of 56 going into lunch.

The score was on 89 when the second wicket fell, Shane Watson trapping Vijay (37) plumb in front to set nerves jangling inside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

But if India were feeling the pressure, they certainly were not showing it as Pujara and Tendulkar took their side to within 61 runs of victory.

Pujara, who took a particular liking to the off spin of Nathan Hauritz (1-76), reached his maiden Test half-century with a crisp pull off Watson, his second boundary of the over.

His impressive innings of 72 was eventually ended by Hauritz, who got his man with a quicker delivery, which crashed into the off stump.

Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid saw India through to tea with ease, the former hitting two almighty sixes off Hauritz to reduce the victory target to 22 by the interval.

Tendulkar, fresh from his majestic 214 in the first innings, looked in complete ease once again and he and Dravid wasted no time in guiding India to their first Test victory at Bangalore in 15 years.

Dravid finished unbeaten on 21 and Tendulkar, who averages almost 100 in Test cricket in 2010, hit the winning runs to end unbeaten on 53.

- Report reprinted from Skysports