Ahmedabad: Virender Sehwag (25) and Cheteswar Pujara (41 not out) helped India chase down the target of 77 runs in 15.3 overs to go 1-0 up in the four match Test series at the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera here today.
India in pursuit of a meagre target got off to a fiery start with the openers Sehwag and Pujara taking the attack to the English bowlers right from the word go.
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India 521 for 8 dec (Pujara 206*, Sehwag 117, Swann 5-144) and 80 for 1 (Pujara 41*) beat England 191 (Ojha 5-45) and 406 (Cook 176, Prior 91, Ojha 4-120) by nine wickets
Man of the match: Cheteswar Pujara
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Sehwag hit a four and a six in his 21-ball innings, while Pujara hit eight fours in his 51-ball innings. India were on course of a 10 wicket victory but then a brilliant catch by Kevin Pietersen at long-on off Graeme Swann to dismissed Sehwag.
His wicket brought Virat Kohli to the crease and he carried off from where Sehwag had left. Manoeuvring the bowling cleverly scored the winning runs with a straight drive to the fence, He scored 14 off 21 deliveries including two fours.
The match gave India’s vengeance series a successful start and the win would give them immense confidence for the next of the matches.
England who were following on after getting bowled out for 191 in reply to India’s first innings score of 521 showed intent in their second essay and with Alastair Cook and Matt Prior putting up a valiant effort to save the match.
They put up an unbeaten 141 run stand to take a 10 run lead and end the day on a high.
However their resistance was cut short after Pragyan Ojha dismissed Prior caught and bowl early this morning. Prior scored 91 off 225 deliveries including 11 boundaries and along with Cook put up a partnership 157 run stand for the sixth wicket.
Ojha in his next over struck big after he removed English skipper Cook for 176 off 374 balls including 21 hits to the fence.
His wicket saw England’s challenge over and rightfully so India did not let English tail wag for long and wickets apiece by Umesh Yadav, R Ashwin and Zaheer Khan bowled them out for 406.
Ojha who took a five-for in his first innings continued his good form in the second innings as well and took 4-120 in the second innings to end the match with a nine wicket haul. The left arm spinner was helped in the second innings by pacer Umesh Yadav as he picked up 3-70.
Cheteswar Pujara who scored an unbeaten 206 in the first innings was named the man of the match.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his spinners after the match and credited them for the win.
"There was something in the wicket to start with but as the game progressed there was low bounce but not much turn. It was hardwork for the spinners and it was a fantastic effort from them. Even if you misjudged the flight you had time to adjust and not much carried to the slips. It was important not to give many runs,” Dhoni said.
Talking about Pujara’s fantastic knock, he said, "It was a fantastic game for Pujara. He has the temperament to play big innings and has shown that on the domestic circuit. He makes sure he converts fifties to hundreds.”
By Indian Sports News Network