Australia captures Boxing Day Test

Australia has won the First Vodophone Test over India by 122-runs following a dominating day four of the Boxing Day Test being played in Melbourne on Thursday.

Chasing 292 for victory at the MCG India fell well short as they were dismissed for 169 in their second innings, handing Australia a 1-0 lead in their best of four test series.

The hosts were able to remove the final four wickets needed for victory in just over 90 minutes in the final session of play having set up the victory with a devastating bowling spell which yielded five wickets in the second session of the day.

India who at tea were 6 for 117 lost the key wicket of Ravichandran Ashwin (30) without even adding to the score when he was caught at short leg by Ed Cowan off the bowling of Peter Siddle in the first over after the resumption.

Zaheer Khan (13) was next to go as he was also caught by Cowan at short leg off the bowling of quick James Pattinson as India slumped to 8 for 141 and it didn’t long for the next wicket to fall as captain MS Dhoni (23) played onto his stumps off the bowling off the Victorian with only one more run added.

India’s number nine Ishant Sharma (six not out) and number 10 in Umesh Yadav (21) provided some resistance in end as they added 27-runs before Yadav went for one slog too many and was caught in the out field by David Warner off the bowling of spinner Nathan Lyon.

Australia all out 333

Ed Cowan 68 (177)

Ricky Ponting 62 (94)

Peter Siddle 41 (99)

Zaheer Khan 4 for 77 (31 overs)

Ravichandran Ashwin 3 for 81 (29 overs)

Umesh Yadav 3 for 106 (26 overs)

India all out 282

Sachin Tendulkar 73 (98)

Rahul Dravid 68 (187)

Virender Sehwag 67 (83)

Ben Hilfenhaus 5 for 75 (26 overs)

Peter Siddle 3 for 63 (21.1 overs)

James Pattinson 2 for 55 (23 overs)

Australia all out 240

Michael Hussey 89 (151)

Ricky Ponting 60 (97)

Umesh Yadav 4 for 70 (20 overs)

Zaheer Khan 3 for 53 (20 overs)

India all out 169

Sachin Tendulkar 32 (46)

Ravichandran Ashwin 30 (35)

MS Dhoni 23 (44)

James Pattinson 4 for 53 (15 overs)

Peter Siddle 3 for 42 (nine overs)

Ben Hilfenhaus 2 for 39 (18 overs)