Brisbane: A fearless India, driven by its courageous youngsters, pulled of an exhilarating three-wicket win over Australia in the fourth Test to claim the series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy here on Tuesday.
Resuming at four for none on the final day, India overhauled the target with 18 balls to spare in a match that went down to the wire. Rishabh Pant led the chase with his aggressive yet mature unbeaten 89 while Shubman Gill scored 91.
Cheteshwar Pujara enduring many a painful blows on his body in his dogged 56-run knock that he raised with a 211-ball vigil.
Australia had won the pink-ball Adelaide Test while India struck back with victory in Melbourne. The third Test in Sydney had ended in a draw.
India had won a historic Test series Down Under two years back and now the team is cherishing back-to-back series victory.
The visitors had lost the ODI series before winning the T20 series that preceded the Test rubber.
At the start, India lost experienced vice captain Rohit Sharma (7) early but young Gill rose to the occasion with an impressive knock that kept India in the hunt as Pujara dug heels on the other end.
Rahane did try to build on the good start with his short but attacking 24-run knock before his sift dismissal.
With Pant's ability to strike the ball at brisk pace, India always had a chance to got for the kill.
Pant pulled off some breathtaking cover drives off Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in the final session though he benefitted from missed stumping chance.
Brief Scores:
Australia 369 and 294
India 326 and 329 for 7 in 97 overs (S Gill 91, R Pant 89 not out, C Pujara 56; Pat Cummins 4/55).
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Malkangiri (PTI): The Odisha government on Wednesday extended the suspension of internet services for another 24 hours in violence-hit Malkangiri district, while the missing severed head of a tribal woman was recovered from a river bank, police said.
The severed head of 51-year-old Lake Podiami of Rakhelguda village was recovered about 15 km from where her body was found on December 4. The head was found on the Poteru riverbank close to a Kanya Ashram, the police said.
The prohibitory orders clamped in the two villages - Rakhelguda and MV 25 - continued to remain in force, while the government further extended the internet service suspension period by another 24 hours based on the recommendation of the Malkangiri District Collector. The earlier ban was in force till 12 noon on Wednesday, an official said.
The woman's mortal remains were buried at her village on Tuesday amid tight security and in the presence of senior officers. "After recovery of the severed head, the police was examining it and undertaking related investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to the woman's murder," an officer said.
The woman remained untraced since December 1, and her family members lodged a missing persons case on December 3. Her body was found on December 4, while the head was recovered on Wednesday, police said.
ALSO READ: Will not accept 'Veer Savarkar Award' nor attend the ceremony: Shashi Tharoor
Violence erupted on Sunday afternoon after the recovery of the woman's headless body. A large number of tribals from Rakhelguda village allegedly attacked MV-26 village, a settlement of Bengalis in the district. Around 200 houses were damaged, some of them set on fire as the tribals went on a rampage at MV-26 village.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested Subha Ranjan Mandal (42) on charge of killing the tribal woman, whose killing led to violence in the tribal dominated district.
Malkangiri District Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay told PTI, "The administration has opened a free kitchen at MV-26 village, provided food, blankets and other essentials to the people. Around 300 people who had fled from the village have returned and are staying in a temporary shelter."
