Advertisement

Aussies battle hiccups on way to Test win

Aussies battle hiccups on way to Test win

Australia did it tough to survive several scares on the way to knocking off the modest target of 128 to win the second Test and take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Opener Chris Rogers kept the run chase moving freely with a positive 55 but wickets continued to fall at the other end as India kept their hopes alive of a remarkable maiden victory at the Gabba.

But Mitchell Marsh and Mitch Johnson, the paceman who turned the game with the bat on the third day, saw the team home to secure victory by four wickets.

Australia seemed to have the result in the bag when Rogers and captain Steve Smith (28) put on 63 in even time to gallop towards the target.

On a pitch that was cracking and offering the pacemen random steep bounce and jagged sideways movement, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma appeared dangerous but were not able to get the breakthrough.

But then Rogers edged Sharma to slip before Shaun Marsh flicked a legside catch to the keeper, Smith was run out and the battling Brad Haddin was taken at slip.

The four wickets rocked the Australian camp but India had insufficient runs to defend and Mitch Marsh soon struck the winning boundary.
Smith was named man of the match for his first innings century and ability to coerce his men into recovering from a terrible first day of his new captaincy career.

Johnson had blitzed India with bat then ball to set up the Australian victory.

There were a few nerves in the home camp when opener David Warner and Shane Watson fell cheaply to Sharma early in the run chase.

Warner took a hard blow on the left thumb that required medical assistance but batted on briefly before edging Sharma behind to fall for six. He expected to be fit for Boxing Day at the MCG.

And Watson, who has not been convincing in his two Tests since returning from calf and ankle injuries, top-edged a hook to keeper MS Dhoni to fall for a duck.

Australia produced their 10th consecutive win at home, a period that has included away losses to India, England and Pakistan, while extending their quarter-century dominance at the Gabba.

Johnson finished with 4-63 after his 88 in Australia’s first innings changed the complexion of the match.

India were only 60 ahead after reaching 7-157 at lunch but Shikhar Dhawan shrugged off a blow to the arm to blaze 81 while Umesh Yadav flung the bat for 30 to put some respectability on the scoreboard.

The pair helped the total climb to 224 before Nathan Lyon trapped the opener lbw and enticed a skied catch from tailenders Varun Aaron to finish with 2-33 and five wickets in the match.

Johnson ended the annoying rearguard action when Yadav was caught behind to give Brad Haddin his third catch and nine for the match to join Adam Gilchrist as the only Australian glovemen to twice secure at least nine dismissals in a game.