Australia vs. India: The Giants Vote For Test Cricket!

What a nail biting finish! What a match! And, Team India won it too!

A suspense packed cricket test is not a rare phenomenon as myopic people think being constantly hammered by the propagators of the short or shortest forms of cricket. You see, cricket commentators or experts cannot be believed nowadays! Because they are hopelessly caught in the web of Boards, Brands and Bucks! What they say belongs to a particular moment and you forget it next. If they had written the obituary of Test Cricket on numerous occasions they had compulsions to do so!

Anyway, a classic game of cricket with ups and downs, unpredictable twists and turns, a collection of bad umpiring decisions and almost unbearable suspense on the last day today, October 5, 2010, Mohali . The first test of Ind-Aus Series in India.

Australia won the toss and naturally elected to bat because on Indian pitches the last day is always supposed to be heaven for spinners and nightmarish for batsmen. Aus went on smoothly, had a slump midway and then fought back to get 428, almost a winning total. India started in good earnest and looked to get a sizeable lead. But Aus cut it short and enjoyed a tiny lead of 23 runs. The match was set up tantalizingly with last two days to go.

Second innings, Aussies raced on looking good for a big target. But Indian bowlers fought gloriously to get them all-out for 192. So, Team India needed 216 runs to win with ample time left.

But on the evening of the fourth day India lost four key wickets and…hoping against hope for Indian crowds.

On the last day today India at 124/8, the match was nearly gone. But an unlikely batting hero Ishant Sarma dug himself in with Very Very Special Laxman and added 81 runs. Then a bad decision again and the last Indian batsman was in with 11 runs to go! The ultimate climax set in and India finally won by 1 wicket!

Say Hurray for Test Cricket!

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