Chennai Test: Ind vs Australia

Commentary Transcript: Post Tea Session

Prem > Here we go. Out come the umpires. For the final session, which should last about 30 minutes, one way or the other, and despite the five down, it is still India odds on -- and will remain that way unless laxman goes quick

Prem > the aussies coming out now. the indian not out batsmen to follow. 132/5 off 32 overs, india, 38 overs to go, 23 runs to win, 5 wickets standing

Prem > Gillespie -- who else -- to bowl the first over after the break. Laxman on strike.

Prem > Gillespie -- who else -- to bowl the first over after the break. Laxman on strike.

Prem > gillespie abck over the wicket, with dighe facing. the slip cordon comes back in place.

Prem > gillespie very slowly back to his mark, trying to get all the breathing space he can. in again, quick, reverse swing, outside off, and das shaped to drive, the ball hit the bat rather than the other way around. no damage.

Prem > gillespie. short, on off, dighe nicely behind the line and defends. india still 20 short of the win, 5 wickets standing

Prem > 11th over for gillespie. 33rd over of the innings. 155 the target, 135/5 the score. in again, to dighe. three slips, gully, and dighe beaten outside off with one seaming just that fraction away, no edge, end of the over, 135/5.

Prem > Laxman now on strike, and amazing the way he seems to be able to keep his cool in this chaos. Miller to bowl. one slip, one short square. defensive push to line of off to the first ball

Prem > That was stunning. Short ball, Laxman flashed into a pull, hit it with all the power he generally generates, that should have been four all the way, and Mark Waugh, at mid on, took the catch of the match -- an absolute blinder as the ball raced away from him, India 135/6 and laxman just stood there, in shock.

Prem > That was stunning. Short ball, Laxman flashed into a pull, hit it with all the power he generally generates, that should have been four all the way, and Mark Waugh, at mid on, took the catch of the match -- an absolute blinder as the ball raced away from him, India 135/6 and laxman just stood there, in shock.

Prem > Saiuraj Bahutule now. slip, gully, silly point, short sqare, and sai defends on line of off.

Prem > And that's another one gone -- Sairaj gets one floated up, reacts like a startled rabbit, pushes at it as it turns and bounces, gets the edge and Warne holds a low catch at first slip. Bahutule gone for 0. India still 20 short, and now just three wicketrs in hand.

Prem > The senior Indian players, back in the hut, must be now telling themselves that they should ahve stayed out there and done the job. They keep telling themselves that time and again -- only, each time it happens to be too late.

Prem > 136/7 as a single taken off gillespie, by dighe, out to backward point. 19 more for india to get

Prem > gillespie taking his own time, putting all he has into every single ball, in again and agian, on off, pushed to point, no run. 136/7 and 19 still to get

Prem > 15th over, two balls left, gillespie in to zahir. outside off, zahir pushes, very very lucky not to touch through.

Prem > gillespie, again to zahir. on off, thick oiuter edge, finds point, no run, 136/7 at the end of it, 19 to get for india, 3 wickers needed by the aussies

Prem > 36th over. overwise, we are at the halfway stage, 35 gone 35 still to go, but that is really irrelevant. dighe on strike, tries to dab one down to third man from outside off, not much turn for miller, misses on the shot

Prem > miller, outsided off, dighe forward, pushes his pad at it, huge appeal by the bowler but the strike well outside the line, well forward and th strike still outside line of off.

Prem > mniller again. and dighe this time, angles it down through slip and they race two. 17 more, india 138/7

Prem > mniller again. and dighe this time, angles it down through slip and they race two. 17 more, india 138/7

Prem > miller to dighe. flighted, driven, thick edge but only one slip, through that gap and down to the third man fence for four more. 142/7 and now 13 more to get.

Prem > 142/7 india, 13 runs to get. miller again to dighe. bad, very bad ball. very short, very wide, dighe wquickly onto that, smashes it throiugh point, four, and india now, 146/7 and 9 more to get

Prem > Gillespie. Pausing at the start of his run up, gathering himself, tremendoius effort this, running in, bouncer. zahir goes under it.

Prem > gillespie again. on off, quick ball, zahir puts his bat in its way which is all he had to do. 9 shy, india, of the target

Prem > gillespie, agian to zahir. on off and again, nicely behind it, plays it back

Prem > gillespie focussed. so too, zahir. the crowd in a constant uproar. bouncer, and under it goes zahir.

Prem > gillespie, to zahir. full toss, looking to york, played on the on, finds square leg, no run, zahir survives the over.

Prem > McGrath takes over. So Aus now have both its pace bowlers in tanedm. Miller taken off after that bad delivery off the last ball, aus unable to afford boundaries, and mcgrath is their most economical bowler

Prem > in for the first ball, to dighe who cuts and misses outside off

Prem > mcgrath, wider of off, and left alone. 146/7 india

Prem > OUtside off, and dighe this time, cuts. single to third man. 147/7 and he keeps strike with that single.

Prem > gillespie continues. this guy now surviving on pure adrenalin -- it has been a very long spell to sustain at this pace. to dighe, 8 more for india with three wickets in ahnd. on off and defensive push

Prem > gillespie, to dighe. 8 short, india. outside off, a slashing drive, through the gap after second slip, four more. 151/7 and now four more to win

Prem > Gillespie, and now just one slip, aus desperately saving runs. 4 more to get. dighe on strike. bouncer and he goes under it

Prem > gillespie, to dighe, batting 21, 151/7 india, one slip, gillespie and another short one and again, dighe goes under it. 151/7 at the end of the over.

Prem > McGrath to resume. With three to tie, four to win, Aus needs a quick wrap, three wickets. Zahir on strike.

Prem > Three slips, gully in place. zahir facing mcgrath. outsdie offf and he watches it through

Prem > mcgrath, to zahir. short, ouitside off. interesting, held the ball for reverse swing, but banged it in, ball kicks, goes in off the seam, zahir swings at it, tempted by the lack oflength, lucky not to touch

Prem > that leaves aus needing 2 more -- harbajan and nilesh to follow, four balls left in the mcgrath over.

Prem > mcgrath, and that is the wicket. fuller this time, this is what he was trying the last time -- reverse swing on full length around off, zahir pushing, and mark waugh, with 151 catches already to his name, snaffles another one at second slip.

Prem > harbajan the new man. did more than his bit with the ball, has a slashing drive to a reverse swinging yorker, actrually lands bat on ball and steve waugh at cover fields. dighe quickly across, asking him to chill. at least, one hopes he is.

Prem > Field well spread now, barring the two slips. Dighe facing Gillespie. On off, pushed to point and they scramble the single, which is what the Aussies wanted. Now Gillespie gets five balls at Harbajan. India need three more. 152/8

Prem > gillespie, with india needing 3 runs and aus 2 wickets, to harbajan. now chatting with mcgrath, who is busy polishing the ball. both aussie quicks now looking for reverse swing at full length and extreme pace. outside off and he slaps that through mid off and they scramble a single. 153/8 and that is india needing one to tie and two to win

Prem > Gillespie to Dighe, now slips in place, no free singles any more. Aus need wickets, two of them

Prem > gillespie, to dighe. again a field change. one slip. one short cover pointpoint. gillespie in. bounces, to keep dighe from keeping strike, dighe goes under it. One ball left in the over.

Prem > gillespie, to dighe. again a field change. one slip. one short cover pointpoint. gillespie in. bounces, to keep dighe from keeping strike, dighe goes under it. One ball left in the over.

Prem > 153/8 india. 2 to get, with dighe facing gillespie. bouncer, dighe goes under it, end of the over and mcgrath now gets another crack at bajju.

Prem > And that is that. The win, by two wickets, off the first ball of the McGrath over, and it is over, India win the series 2-1 and fittingly, bajju hits the winning run and is swamped by the INdians urnning on to the field.

Prem > India have taken the series 2-1, becoming the 7th team in history to come back from a defeat to win a three test series. They take the Allan Border-Sunil Gavaskar trophy away from Aus as well.

Prem > Interesting. AS Bajju steered an inswinging yoirker through point and ran back for the second, John Wright turns to Andrew Leipus, and they hug and embrace. The stadiu8m in an uproar now, the celebrations are on, and we are off. We will be back with the ODI series starting Sunday, meanwhile, to the 12,073 people logged in now -- Congrats. You guys needed this win more perhaps than even the team. Take care, see you all on Sunday.

Prem > Interesting. AS Bajju steered an inswinging yoirker through point and ran back for the second, John Wright turns to Andrew Leipus, and they hug and embrace. The stadiu8m in an uproar now, the celebrations are on, and we are off. We will be back with the ODI series starting Sunday, meanwhile, to the 12,073 people logged in now -- Congrats. You guys needed this win more perhaps than even the team. Take care, see you all on Sunday.

Prem > *gone*

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