It may be too late for them to win the series, but the Indians have once again put the brakes on Australia's chase for a record-breaking 17th straight Test win.
PERTH: It may be too late for them to win the series, but the Indians have once again put the brakes on Australia's chase for a record-breaking 17th straight Test win with VVS Laxman being the architect yet again.
The 72-run victory in the third Test here is not just an extraordinary story of a spirited comeback by the Indians, who had been written off after the mauling in Melbourne and the heart-breaking loss in Sydney. It is a perfect example of history repeating itself.
India's win revived the memories of the heart-stopping 2000-2001 series between the two sides. Even then the world champions were on a similar 15-match winning streak before they landed in India to conquer, what had been declared the final frontier by their then skipper Steve Waugh.
And when they crushed the hosts in the first Test in Mumbai to notch up a 16th straight victory, it seemed Waugh's team was well on course to continue the run and break a long-standing jinx of winning a series in India.
But then came the second Test in Kolkata and a very special knock from Laxman after India were made to follow on. His record 272-run partnership with Rahul Dravid batted Australia out of the match and the visitors later fell to a magical spell by Harbhajan Singh, which also included a hat-trick.
The rest as they say is history as India went on to win the series 2-1.
Harbhajan was missing in action here as the famed fast and furious WACA track needed a stronger pace line-up but Laxman was once again instrumental in scripting the win.
But before the enthralling triumph was a week of frustration, tension, drama, charges, counter-charges and finally a patch-up.
The match was preceded by a lot of off-field acrimony after the Sydney Test in which Australia registered their 16th consecutive win. But instead of being hailed for the victory, the Aussies were coping criticism for their alleged lack of sportsmanship and behaving like "schoolboys", as some said, for reporting Harbhajan for racist abuse.
The Indians, felt a large majority, had been robbed of a victory in Sydney by the crooked fingers of umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson. In fact so agitated were the Indians that they threatened to pull out of the tour if justice was not done.
It worked, and the ICC quickly swung into action removing Bucknor from the series and accepting an appeal from Harbhajan.
Kumble and his opposite number Ricky Ponting did their bit to resolve the crisis by holding 'peace talks'. Ultimately better sense prevailed and the tour was back on track.
But the Indians had a point to prove. Kumble's men had to regroup and get their focus back on cricket and keep the series alive. The task was no stroll in the park as they were to take on a four-pronged Aussie pace attack at the dreaded WACA.
The visitors, however, were not to be intimidated and with a resolute skipper like Kumble guiding them, the Indians exposed that Ricky Ponting's side is as vulnerable as any other side in the world.
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