BRISBANE, Australia (AP) – Australia won the second cricket Test by four wickets today to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series against India.
Chasing 128, the Australians reached 130 for six to win with a day to spare. Mitchell Johnson, who had earlier taken four wickets in the second innings, was unbeaten at the non-striker’s end when Mitchell Marsh hit the winning boundary late on day four.
It was a victory for Steve Smith in his first test as Captain. He had a good match overall, scoring 133 in the first innings and steadied the innings in the middle with a patient 28 off 75 balls as wickets fell around him.
Shikhar Dhawan’s injury in the practice nets was a major distraction for India in the minutes before play resumed, upsetting the balance of the team so badly that it contributed to a batting collapse.
Dhawan, who was 26 not out overnight, was hit on the right wrist when he batted in the nets as he prepared to go back out with India’s second-innings total at 71 for one.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said team management initially thought Dhawan would be OK, but he didn’t recover quickly and the late decision was made to send Virat Kohli to the crease in his place. Kohli had been hit on the left wrist in practice, and the combined injuries sparked complaints from India about the state of the practice facilities.
Kohli, who scored centuries in both innings of India’s 48-run loss in the first Test at Adelaide, faced just 11 deliveries before he chopped a Mitchell Johnson ball back onto his stumps. And that’s when the slide started. India lost four wickets for 11 runs in 20 balls and never properly recovered.
Summarised scores: Australia 505 (Steve Smith 133, Mitchell Johnson 88; Umesh Yadav 3-101, Ishant Sharma 3-117) and 130-6 (Chris Rogers 55, Steve Smith 28; Ishant Sharma 3-38). India 408 (Murali Vijay 144, Ajinkya Rahane 81; Josh Hazlewood 5-68, Nathan Lyon 3-105) and 224 (Shikhar Dhawan 81, Cheteshwar Pujara 43; Mitchell Johnson 4-61). Australia won by four wickets.
