India completes historic Australia whitewash

Monday, 25 March 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cheteshwar Pujara wasted no time as he ruthlessly batted India to a six-wicket victory inside three days in Delhi to sweep Australia in the four-Test series.

Australia was bowled out for 164 in its second innings during the middle session on Sunday, setting the hosts a supremely achievable 155 to win.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni belted the winning runs to the mid-wicket boundary off Nathan Lyon, Australia’s best bowler by far with match figures of 9 for 165, but it was Pujara who set it up.

Dhoni finished on 12 from 14 deliveries but Pujara piled on an unbeaten 82 from 92, smashing 12 off one Mitchell Johnson over as he chased down Australia’s total in imperious fashion.

Lyon had 2 for 71 in the second innings while Glenn Maxwell, who became the first Australian cricketer in 84 years to open the batting and bowling in a Test, took 2 for 54.

The tourists only got as far as they did thanks to the batting efforts of Peter Siddle, who scored his second half-century of the match and became the first number nine to achieve the feat.

Australia will have plenty of questions to answer after a dismal series in which it won the toss in every outing but failed to salvage even a draw on the subcontinent.

It has been 43 years since the Australians have lost a series 4-0, the last time in 1970 when Bill Lawry’s side lost in South Africa.

Chief Scores: India 272 (Vijay 57, Pujara 52, Jadeja 43, Lyon 7-94) and 158 for 4 (Pujara 82*, Kohli 41) beat Australia 262 (Siddle 51, Smith 46, Ashwin 5-57) and 164 (Siddle 50, Cowan 24, Jadeja 5-58) by 6 wickets.

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