DEBUTANT Cheteshwar Pujara proved an unlikely hero as India thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the second and final Test today to sweep the series 2-0.
Pujara hit a fluent 72 as the hosts, set 207 runs to win on a wearing wicket, cruised home soon after tea on the fifth and final day at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.
Veteran Sachin Tendulkar, who hit a double-century in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 53 as India enhanced their reputation as the world’s number one Test side.
Ricky Ponting’s Australia, preparing for next month’s start of the Ashes series at home against England, slipped to fifth place behind the Indians, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Englishmen.
Rahul Dravid made 21 not out as India followed their dramatic one-wicket win in the first Test in Mohali last week to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Tendulkar, who hit a double-century in the first innings, stamped India’s superiority by smashing off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for two consecutive sixes just before the tea interval.
Pujara and opener Murali Vijay put on 72 for the second wicket to revive India after the accomplished Virender Sehwag was dismissed in the third over for seven.
Sehwag edged Ben Hilfenhaus to wicket-keeper Tim Paine, one delivery after hitting a four to the point boundary.
Pujara, who was promoted to number three in place of Dravid, then added 57 for the third wicket with Tendulkar before he was bowled by Hauritz.
The 22-year-old, awarded a Test cap only because Venkatsai Laxman was injured, hit seven boundaries during his two-hour stint at the crease.
Pujara, who fell for four in the first innings to a delivery that kept low, began with two exquisite cover drives off Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson.
He then drove Hauritz to the mid-off fence to bring up the 50 of the innings.
Pujara continued in the same vein, once getting five runs on an overthrow as he charged down for a sharp single.
Vijay too kept the scoreboard ticking with two cuts over third man, before he fell leg-before to Shane Watson after making 37.
Australia, starting the day with a lead of 185 runs with three wickets in hand, were earlier all out for 223 in their second innings an hour into the morning session.
Johnson, who put on 32 for the eighth wicket with Hauritz, was bowled by Zaheer Khan for 11 after the pair had added 15 runs to the overnight score of 202-7.
One run later, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth bowled Hilfenhaus for no score, before Zaheer had last man Peter George caught behind by wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Hauritz remained unbeaten on 21.
Zaheer and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha finished with three wickets each, while Sreesanth and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh claimed two each.
India and Australia will now play a three-match one-day series starting in Kochi on October 17.
