India beat Australia to finally end losing streak on foreign soil

Saturday, 4 February 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

REUTERS: India ran out four Australian batsmen in a brilliant fielding effort before surviving a late attack of nerves to win the second Twenty20 match by eight wickets with two balls to spare on Friday.

Humiliated by a 4-0 whitewash in the test series, India finally had a reason to smile after winning their first match on foreign soil since last June to level the two-match Twenty20 series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Opener Gautam Gambhir scored an unbeaten 56 and blasted a boundary through the covers to drive the tourists past Australia’s total of 131.

Gambhir and wicketkeeper captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was left unbeaten on 21, took their time to stroke the winning runs after needing only a single off the last eight balls.

With captain George Bailey calling his team in close, Dhoni and Gambhir smashed a number of shots straight to the fielders to give the crowd of 62,000 a whiff of an unlikely Australian victory.

But Gambhir threw caution to the wind, backing away to bash the winning runs off paceman Clint McKay.

That completed an emphatic victory by the tourists who were thrashed by 31 runs in the first T20 match in Sydney, but were in total control as they cruised to 43 without loss before opener Virender Sehwag smashed a catch straight to Shaun Marsh in close.

Virat Kohli, the only Indian batsman to score a century against Australia in the test series, kept up the pressure with a quickfire 31 before being dismissed with a sharp catch by diving wicketkeeper Matt Wade off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh.

But it was nimble fielding that secured victory after Bailey won the toss in his second match as skipper and sent his team in to bat on a balmy evening at the MCG.

Burly opener Aaron Finch compiled a quick-fire 36 but the hosts crashed to 54-4 courtesy of some shambolic running between the wickets.

David Hussey poked to backward point and called through Finch for a quick single, but Ravindra Jadeja steamed in and hurled a sharp throw to Dhoni with Finch caught well short.

Jadeja was in the thick of it again two overs later, making a sliding save at backward point and throwing to the bowlers end where Rahul Sharma broke the stumps with Bailey a long way from home after being sent back by Hussey.

Man-of-the-match Jadeja completed his heroics by catching Hussey for 24 off his own bowling.

Dhoni stumped Mitchell Marsh for 13 off Rahul Sharma’s bowling before the hosts lost their last five wickets for 12 runs.

Rohit Sharma threw down the stumps to remove Matt Wade for 32 before Dhoni had McKay caught behind for a duck.

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Brad Hogg was trapped in front for four by Rahul Sharma a ball before Xavier Doherty was run out for one by a quick throw to Dhoni from Suresh Raina who came charging in from the deep to secure the last wicket.

Friday’s result meant India finally ended a 14-match winless streak abroad after also failing to win a game in England last year.