India secure stunning win over Australia

(GETTY IMAGES)

VVS Laxman's unbeaten half-century helped India pull off a thrilling one-wicket win over Australia in the first Test in Mohali today.

The Hyderabad batsman scored 73 runs off 79 balls and added 81 off 21.4 overs for the ninth-wicket with Ishant Sharma (31) after it seemed the tourists were closing in on victory.

India reached the 216-run target half an hour before the tea break despite the best efforts of Ben Hilfenhaus, who took four for 57.

India had been pushed onto the back foot after Doug Bollinger's two-wicket burst reduced them to 162 for eight at lunch.

But Laxman and Ishant turned things around in the final hour, though India had to overcome a huge scare as the paceman was harshly adjudged lbw when 11 runs were required.

However, the Hyderabad batsman managed to see India home in the company of number 11 Pragyan Ojha (five not out), who hung around during the testing final moments and was lucky to survive a confident lbw shout.

India's triumph was built on the back of a superb bowling performance by Zaheer Khan, who claimed match figures of eight for 137, and fine contributions from Sachin Tendulkar (98 and 38) and Rahul Dravid and Suresh Raina, who made 77 and 86 respectively in the first innings.

But it was Laxman's performance which proved to be the game-changer as the 35-year-old fought his stiff back and the rampaging Australia bowlers to pull off a sensational victory.

Laxman's heroics follow his match-winning century in the second innings against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August which helped India to level the series 1-1.

India resumed on 55 for four and started positively with Tendulkar and nightwatchman Zaheer Khan bringing the target down to 140 with six wickets intact in the first half-hour.

Hauritz provided the breakthrough by snaring Zaheer (10), bringing Laxman to the middle.

Tendulkar, when on 35, reached the milestone of scoring 1,000 Test runs in 2010, the world record sixth time he has achieved the mark.

Laxman, who had been held back in the batting line-up due to a stiff neck, started aggressively but Bollinger got his third wicket of the innings just when things were looking gloomy for Australia by having Tendulkar caught at gully for 38 off a well-directed short delivery.

The sixth-wicket pair had added 43 runs in just 6.1 overs but the wicket left India reeling on 119 for six.

Laxman and Dhoni steadied the ship for a while before the India captain's stay at the crease was cut short by a horrible mix-up with Laxman's runner Raina which caught him short of his crease.

Harbhajan lasted only two deliveries and India had slipped from 76 for four to 124 for eight, with five batsmen removed by short-pitched deliveries.

With 54 runs needed after lunch, Laxman started confidently and reached his 46th fifty by pulling Hilfenhaus to the mid-wicket boundary.

Ishant took his cue from his senior partner's batting prowess and drove Bollinger to the gully boundary and soon the pair had brought up the 50-run partnership for the ninth wicket in 68 balls.

Australia's frustration grew as Ishant hit two boundaries off Mitchell Johnson's 13th over to reduce the target to just 32.

Watson's introduction helped India's cause as Laxman dispatched his first ball to the cover boundary and the Queenslander strayed in line in his next over to give away four leg byes.

India moved past the 200-run mark two overs later and soon Ishant equalled his best Test score of 31, which came against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2010.

But, having defied the Australians for 91 balls, he departed for the same score with Hilfenhaus winning an lbw verdict even though replays suggested the ball was missing the leg stump.

Laxman changed his tactics after Ishant's exit and shielded last man Ojha from Mitchell Johnson, who was in the middle of a fiery spell.

Ojha survived a close lbw shout in Johnson's 17th over - with Australia's woes compounded as Steven Smith's shy at the stumps went for four overthrows - and a pair of leg-byes then completed a thrilling victory.

Australia had piled up a massive 428 all out in their first innings while India replied with 405, 23 runs behind.

Watson, who hit 126 in the first innings, scored 56 in the second before Australia were bundled out for 192 after Zaheer and Ishant claimed three wickets each.