India beat Australia, create history at Perth

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Perth, January 19:: India recorded one of their most amazing Test triumphs overseas, when they beat Australia by 72 runs in the thrilling third cricket Test to snap the champion team's record 16-match winning streak on Saturday.

Set 413 to win a world record 17th Test in succession, the Australians were dismissed for 340 to allow the spirited visitors to reduce the margin to 2-1 in the four match series with one full day to spare.

Not many had given the Indians any hope at the WACA, regarded as the fastest pitch in the world, but Anil Kumble and his men came out firing on all cylinders to not only pull off a sensational victory but raise hopes of levelling the series.

The Indians celebrated wildly and hugged each other after R P Singh castled last man Shaun Tait, bringing an end to a dramatic Test which saw fortune fluctuating from one team to the other on the four days.

It was a remarkable show of character by the Indians who did not allow the acrimonious events of the Sydney Test to affect them as they went about plotting the demolition of the champion team.

Michael Clarke, who has struggled to find his peak form in the series, was the highest scorer for the Australians with 81 while Michael Hussey (46) and captain Ricky Ponting (45) were the other notable performers.

With the hosts reeling at 253 for eight, tailenders Mitchell Johnson (50 not out) and Stuart Clark (32) used the long handle to good effect to give the Indians some anxious moments.

The lusty hitting of the tailenders prompted captain to take the second new ball but the Indians had to wait for a while before the moment of glory came.

The two teams will now travel to Adelaide for the fourth and final Test beginning from January 24 but the Australians have already ensured that the Gavaskar-Border Trophy remained with them by winning the first two Tests.

The last time India defeated Australia in a Test was in Mumbai in 2004 when they had beaten them by 13 runs.

Resuming at the overnight score of 65 for two, the Australians had to defy history as only once has a bigger total been successfully chased in the fourth innings of a Test, when the West Indies made 418 for seven against Australia in Antigua in 2003.