Player of the Match
Player of the Match
2101dThe Bulletin by Jamie Alter

India take series after dull draw

India clinched the two-Test series against England 1-0 after the second Test ended in a draw here on Tuesday

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

G Gambhir
G Gambhir
179(348) 25x4 - 1x6
Control %82%
  • Productive Shot
  • leg glance
  • 53 runs
  • 4x4 - 0x6
14 26 17 32 32 7 14 37
KP Pietersen
144(201) 17x4 - 1x6
Control %84%
  • Productive Shot
  • leg glance
  • 44 runs
  • 5x4 - 0x6
0 25 23 13 17 10 24 32

Best performances - Bowlers

Harbhajan Singh
O20.5
M2
R68
W4
Eco3.26
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
A Flintoff
O30.2
M10
R54
W3
Eco1.78
RHB
OFFLEG
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

Match Details

Toss

India , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

India won the 2-match series 1-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

09.00 start, Lunch 12.30-13.10, Tea 14.55-15.15, Close 17.00

Match days

19,20,21,22,23 December 2008 (5-day match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorecard Summary

INDIA 453(158.2 OVERS)
1ST INNINGS

ENGLAND 302(83.5 OVERS)
1ST INNINGS

INDIA 251/7d(73 OVERS)
2ND INNINGS

ENGLAND 64/1(28 OVERS)
2ND INNINGS

END OF OVER:
28 | 1 Run | ENG: 64/1

  • Andrew Strauss21 (83b)
  • Ian Bell24 (70b)
  • MS Dhoni1-0-1-0
  • Harbhajan Singh11-3-25-0

Well, that just about wraps it up from Mohali. India take the series 1-0 and congratulations to them. It caps off a fine year and they move to second in the ICC Test rankings. England now have their long flight home to reach their families in time for Christmas. And that's it for this tour from Cricinfo. Many thanks for joining us and don't forget to tune in for the Boxing Day Test from Melbourne, which should be a cracker. But for now, from Andrew McGlashan, Martin Williamson and Andrew Miller, it's goodbye, Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni "We played very well. We needed a big partnership in the first Test and Tendulkar and Yuvraj stood up. Here there was a bit of moisture in the wicket, but there wasn't much in it for the spinners and there was the lost time. When we went into bat we weren't sure about the fog, we started well today and both Gautam and Yuvi deserved their centuries but sadly couldn't get them. We are just concentrating on our plans and are enjoying the cricket we are playing. We'll just to prepare well in the future."

Kevin Pietersen "There's a lot to learn from a tour of India. We've enjoyed comeback for the Tests. We got into a position to win in Chennai but couldn't pull it off. I'm really proud to be captain of a bunch of lads who jumped on a plane back and their concentrated on their cricket. The way they got themselves into a good position last week they can take a lot from."

Zaheer Khan is Man of the Series. That's a pleasing, if slightly surprising, award. It's often the batsmen who get honoured more, but Zaheer has bowled well especially with his reverse swing. "We are working well as a unit. I was hoping to get more wickets. It's been good since I cam back from injury and we all enjoy the success of each other. It's been a great year for Indian cricket."

Gautam Gambhir is Man of the Match. "I'm very honoured," he says. "If someone told me I'd get so many runs I'd have taken it. I've had a hunger for runs and have been in good form. All innings you play for your country are special. It was a good wicket, we should have won 2-0."

Kevin Pietersen collects a commemorative plate, and traps his thumb in the box, ouch

The security men get there awards, they have done a fine job.

Here comes the presentations...boy, there's a long line officials, almost enough to make a cricket team.

Who will be Man of the Match and Man of the Series? Gautam Gambhir looks the frontrunner for both, 179 and 97 in this Test and he is leading scorer in the series. None of the bowlers stand out above anyone else, although Zaheer Khan was impressive with his reverse swing. For England, Andrew Strauss's twin hundreds in Chennai were outstanding as once Pietersen's 144 here.

So that ends the international year for these two teams, one that has brought great success for India but not as much for England. They will travel home tonight with much to ponder ahead of the West Indies tour in January, while India look forward to their tour of New Zealand in March. Stay with us for the presentations in a few moments.

And the handshakes start as the game is put out of its misery. Such a shame this was a short series, and today's play is hardly an advertisement likely to get crowds flocking back to watch Tests in these parts. The match is a draw and the series is India's by virtue of their win at Chennai, and congratulations to them. The two sides line up and shake hands more formally with each other ... It's all very good natured between the teams, and has been throughout, even the banter between Pietersen and Yuvraj.

27.6
0
Dhoni to Strauss, no run, angled across Strauss and he leaves

And this will be the last ball, and he switches to round the wicket,

27.5
0
Dhoni to Strauss, no run, long hop wide of off stump, cut unattractively to cover
27.4
0
Dhoni to Strauss, no run, again outside off and Strauss lets it pass

He runs in with a slightly crouching, bustling approach. And all at 78mph.

27.3
0
Dhoni to Strauss, no run, outside off, slower, and Strauss whips the bat inside the line

Strauss has four balls to avoid a very embarrassing end to the series.

27.2
1
Dhoni to Bell, 1 run, turned into the leg side

It's a decent medium pace and not too bad.

27.1
0
Dhoni to Bell, no run, good start, swinging in to Bell's legs and defended

And Dhoni will bowl. All this session needs is a funny hat and a comedy nose and it would be a complete farce. Anyhow, this will be the last over. Laxman keeping wicket in short-leg pads and we have two leg slips.

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  • Centuries don't matter, victories do

    Given that there were still 68 overs to be bowled when the teams finally took to the field, you could scarcely blame India for batting on. After a week when seemingly insurmountable targets have been achieved with ludicrous ease, there was no point taking

  • India take series after dull draw

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