This gentleman’s game has seen some of the greatest victories resulting from fighting, grabbing and snatching. India fought through the tough hours, engaged in little man-to-man battles over four days, grabbed and re-grabbed the initiative with some spot-on performances and finally, deprived Ricky Ponting’s boys of the world record to weave their own piece of history — and all this in the spirit of the game.

The result was clear in the afternoon itself when the top-half of the hosts’ innings was dismantled but the official intimation came at 5.58 pm. India won by 72 runs to come back 1-2 in this series. The most-feared wicket remained a myth but this victory at the WACA is real and will be remembered as one of the best-ever Test victories. The world champions were stifled into submission and being alien to the feeling of being under pressure, the Australians cracked.

There was a little rebellion towards the end with an entertaining ninth-wicket partnership of 73 in 12.5 overs between Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson — the latter even reaching his half-century with two sixes and five fours. But the hosts, requiring 348 further today since the start of their 413 chase, were always placed like a candle in the wind. And it blew off in 86.5 overs, with 340 on board.

The struggle started right in the first over. Hussey survived a close leg before shout off the third ball of the morning but Ricky Ponting can best describe details of the morning hour. The Australian skipper, who averages in the 90s in fourth innings, was tormented by Ishant Sharma no end — the young quickie getting the ball to cut in and move out from the same length outside off, and making Ponting search for the ball like a novice.

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