PERTH, (Reuters) – A rampant Australia blitzed India’s tail to crush the hapless tourists by an innings and 37 runs with more than two days to spare in the third test today and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
India’s misery was compounded when skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was banned for the fourth and final test in Adelaide after his team were found guilty of failing to maintain an acceptable over rate in the match.
In a dramatic climax to the rout, Ben Hilfenhaus (4-54) took three wickets in five balls before Peter Siddle (3-43) removed Virat Kohli for 75 in the next over to end India’s second innings at 171, just 10 runs better than their first.
Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy they relinquished in 2009 and skipper Michael Clarke paid tribute to Man of the Match David Warner, whose innings of 180 included the fastest test century by an opening batsman in 69 balls.
“We should be very proud to have beaten the number two ranked test team in the world,” Clarke told reporters.
“It’s a very satisfying victory,” he added. “A lot of credit not only to Davy, who batted brilliantly, but also to his opening partner Ed Cowan.
“Our bowlers also deserve a lot of credit for taking 20 wickets again against a very good batting side. I think we played really well and I couldn’t be happier as a captain.”
It was a seventh successive overseas test defeat for India after the 4-0 drubbing they received in England last summer to lose the number one test ranking, and questions will be asked about several of their experienced batsmen.
“Class is always there, they have the experience, it’s just in back-to-back series that we have failed,” Dhoni said in the post-match presentation.
“We have not adapted well to the conditions quickly enough. Winning in Adelaide is the only motivation we have now, the bowlers have shown they can take wickets, we need to put more runs on the board.”
India had resumed on 88 for four still needing 120 runs to match Australia’s first effort of 369 and make the hosts bat again.
On a blistering morning at the WACA, which had the fans crowding around the complimentary sunscreen dispensers as they streamed into the ground, the Australians were kept at bay for the first hour.
The Australian bowlers, oustanding in all three tests, continued to make full use of the bounce on offer from the wicket but were forced to wait for the breakthrough as Rahul Dravid (47) and Kohli put up stiff resistance.
UNDER PRESSURE
Kohli has been under pressure for his place in the side for much of the tour but once again proved to be one of his team’s more impressive batsmen, bringing up his fifty with a flicked four through long on.
He and Dravid had put on 84 for the fifth wicket when Ryan Harris finally separated them, fooling the senior partner with a ball that swung in, crashed through the gate and removed the leg stump.
It was the fifth time in six innings in the series that the 39-year-old Dravid, known as “the Wall” for his strong defence, had been bowled.
Dhoni lasted just 20 minutes before edging a Siddle delivery to Ricky Ponting in the slips for two with the former Australia skipper taking a fine low catch.
The tourists scrambled to lunch at 165 for six but many in the 14,000 crowd were still getting back to their seats when the end came.
Hilfenhaus, who took 4-43 in the first innings, despatched debutant R. Vinay Kumar (six) and Zaheer Khan (0) in successive balls and Ishant Sharma lasted just two deliveries before he too departed for a duck. Clarke took all three catches in the slips.
It was left to Siddle to perform the last rites in the second ball of the next over, steaming in to end Kholi’s stubborn resistance with an edge to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Australia won the first test in Melbourne by 122 runs and the second in Sydney by an innings and 68 runs. The fourth test begins in Adelaide on Jan 24.