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Untitled Document
 History repeats itself as India halt Aussie juggernaut
19th Jan 2008 23:02 IST
Agencies
It may be too late for them to win the series, but the Indians have once again put the brakes on Australia's chase for a record-breaking 17th straight Test win with VVS Laxman being the architect yet again.
The 72-run victory in the third Test at the WACA in Perth is not just an extraordinary story of a spirited comeback by the Indians, who had been written off after the mauling in Melbourne and the heart-breaking loss in Sydney. It is a perfect example of history repeating itself.
India's win revived the memories of the heart-stopping 2000-2001 series between the two sides. Even then the world champions were on a similar 15-match winning streak before they landed in India to conquer, what had been declared the final frontier by their then skipper Steve Waugh.
And when they crushed the hosts in the first Test in Mumbai to notch up a 16th straight victory, it seemed Waugh's team was well on course to continue the run and break a long-standing jinx of winning a series in India.
But then came the second Test in Kolkata and a very special knock from Laxman after India were made to follow on. His record 272-run partnership with Rahul Dravid batted Australia out of the match and the visitors later fell to a magical spell by Harbhajan Singh, which also included a hat-trick.
The rest as they say is history as India went on to win the series 2-1.
Harbhajan was missing in action in Perth as the famed fast and furious WACA track needed a stronger pace line-up but Laxman was once again instrumental in scripting the win.
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