India Re-Writes History

History has been created and it has also been repeated. Kolkata 2001, now Adelaide 2003. After a drought of 23 long years, Indian Cricket has finally broken the hoodoo that was Australia.

The undoubted World Champions of Test Cricket, Australia have been beaten in their own back yard. The pivot, the architect, the engineer, call him whatever you may like but the reason India has broken this drought is Rahul Dravid and unbelievably India is 1-0 up in the '3' Test Series.

Starting the day, Ravi Shastri and Ian Healy summed it up completely when they discussed it being '70-30' in favor of India. The experienced Indian fan knows however, that India have a habit of making a crisis out of an easy situation, and on a variable pitch with the likes of Gillespie, Bichel and MacGill the task for India would be quite difficult.

India answered the call, but shakily at first as Akash Chopra was adjudged lbw for 20 off Jason Gillespie's deadly bowling. Sehwag continued in his aggressive fashion, as double century maker Rahul Dravid solidified his overall match effort with another long dig at the crease.

Sehwag raced along to 47, before he commited suicide to Stuart MacGill and was quickly and effectively stumped out by the ever lurking Adam Gilchrist. Sachin Tendulkar strode to the middle and was immediately under some pressure.

Rahul Dravid with his cool head and immaculate technique allowed India to build a partnership and safely gain momentum on their way to a historic victory. Sachin Tendulkar played some glorious trademark Sachin drives before he was plumb lbw to MacGill by not offering a shot for 37.

Ganguly fell soon after for just 12 to Andy Bichel's consistent bowling. Any threat Australia might have posed was soon to be eradicated by the famous pairing of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. As Dravid went past his 50 and 300 runs in the match, VVS Laxman was seeing the cricket ball like a football and dispatched loose and good balls to the fence.

Laxman raced along to 32, and the target for India was looking ever so close. A hiccup occured when Laxman tried to be a even greater hero as he swiped a ball off Katich in the air on the on side straight to Andy Bichel. Katich then picked up Parthiv Patel (3) when there was just one more run to win.

However, it was fitting that India's batting stalwart and one of the best player's in the world in Rahul Dravid scored the winning run to clinch the victory for India on Australian soil after 23 long years. No doubt this test match will be remembered many years later as the 'Rahul Dravid Test Match'.

It has been an extremely hard and entertaining test match with some genuinely tough cricket being played from both sides. Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid solidified their statures as the best two number 3's in World Cricket and two of the best batsmen in World Cricket at the moment.

After 23 long years India can celebrate on a job well done, but Australia will be chomping at the bit to come back and dislodge India in the traditional Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Log on and join us at www.cricketweb.net for the Day 1 bulletin of the Boxing Day test from the MCG.


Brief Score Summary:

Australia (1st Innings): 556 All Out (Ponting 242, Katich 75, Kumble 5/154)

India (1st Innings): 523 All Out (Dravid 233, Laxman 148, Bichel 4/118)

Australia (2nd Innings): 196 All Out (Gilchrist 43, Waugh 42, Agarkar 6/41, Tendulkar 2/36)

India (2nd Innings): 6/233 (Dravid 72*, Sehwag 47, Katich 2/22, MacGill 2/101)

India won by 4 wickets and lead the '3' Test Series 1-0

Cricket Web Player of the Match: Rahul Dravid (IND)


Posted by Sangrah