India win Mohali Test, take back Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Mohali, March 18 : India clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a thrilling six-wicket win with 15 balls to spare on the final day of the third cricket Test against Australia at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here on Monday.
Australia made a valiant effort to save the Test by giving India a target of 133, after they were bowled out for 223 in the second innings. Australia made 408 in the first innings and India replied with 499.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished off in style with an unbeaten 18 runs after hitting three consecutive fours at the start of the 34th over to close the match.
Openers Murali Vijay (26) and Cheteshwar Pujara (28) gave India a good start with a 42-run stand and Virat Kohli's departure for 34 at 3-103 brought hard-hitting Dhoni to the crease.
Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar added just 13 runs off 33 balls and Tendulkar (21) was run out by David Warner at 4-116 with 4.5 overs left, as the tension ramped up a notch in Mohali.
However Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja (8*) hit a flurry of boundaries in the next two overs to put the match in India's keeping against an Australian side that showed plenty of fight on the final day's play.
Earlier, resuming at 75 for three Michael Clarke's men were bowled out for 233.
Phil Hughes struck form with a fighting 69, but was wrongly given lbw. Clarke was clearly troubled by a back injury and was out for 18 batting at no.6.
The skipper could be in doubt for the fourth and final Test in Delhi on March 22.
India's left-arm spinners Jadeja (3/35) and Pragyan Ojha (2/26) ran through the Australian middle order with offie Ravichandran Ashwin chipping in with two, including the wicket of top scorer Jacques.
Australia were left struggling at 143 for eight, but two stubborn stands carried them past the 200-run mark. Brad Haddin (30) and Starc (35) added 36 runs for the ninth wicket while Starc and Doherty (18) contributed valuable 44 runs for the last wicket.