India clinch series 1-0 after second Test ends in draw By Amlan Chakraborty

Mohali, Dec 23 (PTI) India wrapped up the two-match Test
series against England with a 1-0 margin as the second and
final cricket Test ended in a tame draw here Tuesday with the
hosts preferring to play it safe rather than push for an
improbable victory.

After being set a near-impossible target of 403
from 43 overs, England scored 64 for one in their second
innings to bring the curtains down on an emotional series
which got underway barely two weeks after the Mumbai terror
attacks.

With the fog robbing away much of the opening session's
play on most of the days, a draw appeared to be the likely
result as both teams took the field on the last day.

With the Indians in no mood to take any risks, the final
day's play turned out to be quite boring with Gautam Gambhir
(97) and Yuvraj Singh (86) briefly providing the sparks before
the belated Indian declaration came shortly after the lunch
break.

Resuming on overnight 134 for four, India declared at 251
for seven wickets in the post-lunch session, a total they owed
to the 153-run stand between Gambhir and Yuvraj.

It was the second successive Test series triumph for the
Indians after beating Australia 2-0 in the four-match series
in October-November.

But more than the result, the series will be remembered
for reasons beyond cricket as it was played under the shadow
of terrorism in the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage.

With no possibility of an outright result, both the
sides decided to stop the pointless exercise an hour before
its schedule close.

To inject some life into the dull match, India captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni took his pads off and bowled the last
over with VVS Laxman donning the wicket-keeper’s gloves.

This was the first time that India drew under Dhoni’s
captaincy. It was a sharp contrast to the epic first Test in
Chennai where India had successfully chased down 387 runs for
a memorable win.

The 153-run stand between a sedate Gambhir and a sizzling
Yuvraj was the lone highlight of India's second innings.

A thick fog that became a ritual in the match once again
threw the schedule in complete disarray and play finally got
underway at 1130 hrs IST with a one hour morning session.

That India would not go out of the way to press for a win
was completely evident as the hosts batted on. By the time
India declared following Gambhir’s dismissal some 10 overs
after lunch, the prospect of a result had long gone up in
smoke.

The only point of interest seemed whether Gambhir can
notch up his second century of the match which the pint-sized
left-hander from Delhi could not, falling three runs shy of
the milestone.

It still turned out to be a memorable match for the
diminutive Delhi player, who had scored 179 in the first
innings.

On a dull gloomy day when the hosts, despite dominating
the proceedings, decided to play it safe and even an otherwise
attacking Gambhir retreated into a shell, it was Yuvraj
Singh’s scintillating strokemaking which lit up the sparse
crowd who had braved the fog and chill to throng the Punjab
Cricket Association Stadium.

Both the Indian overnight batsman began on a cautious
note before Yuvraj broke free and hit the England bowlers all
over the park as the hosts clobbered 82 runs in 13 overs in
the hour-long morning session.

India’s first boundary of the day came in the fifth over
when Yuvraj slog-swept Graeme Swann and a single in the same
over brought up the left-hander’s fifty.

Overtaken by Yuvraj, Gambhir too reached his fifty with
a single off Stuart Broad and the celebration came in the form
of a four off Anderson.

Yuvraj then took the centre stage and hit Broad for
back-to-back sixes to refresh the memories of the Twenty20
World Cup in which he had hit the lanky seamer for six sixes
in an over. Broad, however, escaped the trauma this time even
though the over cost him 15 runs.

Matt Prior also bore the brunt of Yuvraj’s attack and
took a body blow when the left-hander reverse swept Swann and
the ball hit the England stumper on his collar bone. Prior
needed medical attention before resuming duty behind the
stumps.

It was rather surprising to see both Yuvraj and Gambhir
returning to continue from where they had left and by then it
was clear that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men were playing for a
draw.

Playing without a purpose, India suddenly lost three
wickets in six overs before Dhoni felt it was safe to set
England on a chase.

An almighty mix-up with Gambhir saw Yuvraj falling short
of the crease as Ian Bell’s direct throw broke the stumps. It
was a sad end to Yuvraj’s entertaining 93-ball 86 runs which
was studded with four sixes and six fours.

Dhoni’s was a two-ball duck as the Indian captain offered
a tame catch to Monty Panesar and Gambhir then fell to Swann
in the 73rd over when Bell took a brilliant catch at backward
point.

It was an uncharacteristically patient knock by Gambhir,
who spent five-and-half hours in the middle, facing 229 balls,
five of which was hit to the fence.

For England, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Monty Panesar
and Graeme Swann got one wicket apiece.

With India not interested in a win and an England victory
just not a possibility, the only task at hand for the visiting
batsmen was to bat out the rest of the day and return with
honours even.

Opener Andrew Strauss avoided the ‘pair’ and remained not
out on 21, while Ian Bell was unbeaten on 24. PTI AY
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