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Untitled Document
 India create history with first ever Tri-Series win in Australia
4th Mar 2008 19:01 IST
Agencies
India created history by notching up their first-ever Tri-Series title on Australian soil by pipping the world champions by nine runs in a nail-biting second finals which saw fortune fluctuating from one team to the other till the very end in Brisbane today.
After scoring a competitive 258/9 largely built around Sachin Tendulkar's majestic 91, the Indians held their nerves in the tense dying moments to stop the Australians at 249 with two balls to spare and wrap up the best-of-three finals with a 2-0 margin.
It was a remarkable display by the Indians who not only conquered the mighty Australians in their own den but brought about a happy ending to a turbulent tour, marked by a racism row involving Harbhajan Singh and a series of on-field bickerings.
Pacer Irfan Pathan dismissed James Hopes in the very last over to bring India's moment of glory, triggering scenes of wild celebrations among the players as they hugged each other.
The Australians needed 13 runs off Pathan's last over who tilted the scale in India's favour by getting rid of Nathan Bracken and Hopes (63) whose lusty hits kept the home team in the hunt.
The young Praveen Kumar was the pick of the Indian bowlers by scalping 4/46 in his ten overs while S Sreesanth and Pathan chipped in with two wickets each.
The hosts were rocked by Kumar early in the innings when the UP medium-pacer picked up two wickets in his first two overs and later claimed Michael Clarke for 17 to reduce the hosts to 32/3 in the ninth over.
Adam Gilchrist (2) edged a catch behind the stumps while Ricky Ponting's woes continued unabated as the Australian skipper pulled a catch to Yuvraj Singh at mid-on.
Kumar also appeared to have got Michael Clarke plumb in front of stumps but his appeal was over-ruled. He could not be denied his scalp for long though as he hit the stumps of Clarke when the latter aimed a pull off a short ball that never rose.
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