India v Australia 2007-08

Down, but not yet quite out, India played to their full potential for the first time in the series, and pulled the scoreline back to 1-2. Tendulkar and Ganguly were up against exaggerated swing at high pace, but dug themselves in. They were content to play out the early overs - at one stage Tendulkar saw off 16 consecutive dot-balls - and then cashed in. Tendulkar's 79 provided the platform from which the strokemakers could launch, and Dhoni (50 off 35 balls) and Uthappa (30 off 18) did not waste the chance. Hayden began muscling the bowling around, walking down the pitch in intimidating fashion, but Australia lost momentum when he fell for a run-a-ball 92, cleverly out-thought by Kartik, the left-arm spinner playing his first one-day international for 20 months after being drafted into the team from the TV studios where he was working as an expert summariser. After Hodge was stumped off a wide, Symonds was left with a lot to do, and when he was bowled for 75, Australia still needed 24 off 19 balls, which proved too much for the tail in the first international match at the Sector 16 Stadium for 15 years.