Party blues of baggy greens

The Perth test has helped us to shed light on some of the most amazing but not well known facts about the Aussie chinks. Gautam Sheth tries to find some and savours every bit of it.

After the close victory at Perth, Men in Blue have gate crashed baggy greens' party. The rout must be tasting really sour for Ponting and his men as they were undefeated from August 2005. This is not the first time Team India has messed up with Aussie domination.

The 2001 series in India, when Australia were 1-0 up and the following test was almost in their clutches until VVS Laxman and Dravid played the role of their nemesis. And of course, Harbhajan's spinning web which buried the ambitions of Steve Waugh to beat India in India. But what remains interesting to know is whether the indomitable citadel of Australia has showed its chinks in the armour.

Let's try to answer a few questions if possible. When was the last time when Australian's were defeated in less than 4 days of a Test? Well that was not too long ago. Test number 1720, dated November 3rd, 2004 was the inauspicious game for the team from Down Under. No prizes to guess who took away the honours, Men in Blue again. The men from Down under were handed a defeat in Aamchi Mumbai.

The test didn't last for more than 2 and a half day. Michael Clarke bowled the spell of his life in the second innings on a splintered Mumbai track. His 6-wicket haul left the Indian team biting the dust. With a target of 107 to win, an Aussie victory looked certain. But Murali Karthik was in no mood to allow Clarke take the honours. With the help of a pitch which was stinging worse than a scorpion bite, Karthik's fiver floored the Australian's for a mere 93 runs. The verdict was India beat Australia by 13 runs (in a mere 202 overs). Before this in 1999 Sri Lanka had handed the same treatment to Australia in Kandy. Spin wizard Murali spun a web to pack them in 3 days.

My next question is, when was the last time Aussies were defeated on the fastest pitch in the world at WACA ground in Perth. Well, when they were defeated, it then really looked like the fastest pitch on the earth.

Curtly Ambrose and then Courtney Walsh unleashed a venomous spell to bundle the Australians bundling in a matter of three days. This was way back in 1997 after which Australian's played 10 more test matches undefeated until India beat them yesterday. Of a total of 35 matches played in Perth, the home team has won 20 of them. Only 8 times they have lost a test at the venue of which West Indies has won 5 of them.

Interestingly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had a ball of a time behind the stumps. He accounted for 8 dismissals in the match; after this he has gone on to hold the joint record of maximum dismissals by a wicketkeeper in Perth with JR Murray from West Indies. And if you want to follow records, the last time India defeated Australia in Australia was in Adelaide in the 2003 tour. So the next test at Adelaide would be interesting to keep an eye on.

P.S: Suddenly the ghosts of Sydney test fiasco have vanished in thin air. Racial slurs allegations and questions on team spirit have come to an end. Thanks to India's victory at Perth. But I hope this victory was due to hard core team work from the Indian's or Team India being the better team for four days. Critic rumour mills are saying the test was gifted to Indian's to shun away the glare from the Sydney test fiasco. But I am sure I don't want to be a part of the critic rumour mills. Let us all savour the victory or the Aussie defeat, what ever.