5 matches where India showcased their true potential

#4 India vs Australia, 4th Test - Mumbai 2004

Harbhajan Singh 'The Terminator' was the man of the fourth inning for India.

Counted among the best test wins of India, this Test match is special because of some amazing bowling spells from both the teams. Indian team was under a lot of pressure after losing 1st and 3rd matches on home soil in this series. Indian players were still unable to make a mark in the series. Apart from Sehwag, no other batsman could score a hundred from the Indian side. Recovering from failures in all the departments, India registered one of the best wins in tests, but the journey for this one is interesting.

Indian batsmen continued to fail

Indian batsmen's nightmares continued in the fourth test as well, and they have gone really worse this time. Highest score from the first inning was 31 by Rahul Dravid. Credit to this awful condition of Indian batting goes to Jason Gillespie, who claimed wickets of players like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and ended up with figures 4/29.

Damien Martyn came to Australia's rescue

Australian faced the similar kind of dilemma as India. Spinners did the work India and Anil Kumble took 5 wickets whereas Murali Kartik got 4 wickets. Wickets at regular intervals ensured that Australia does not get away with a big lead. Damien Martyn scored a patient fifty as Australia ended up with a lead of 99 runs.

Micheal Clarke secured career-best figures

Indian batting woes continued in the last inning of the series. Early in the inning, Glenn Mcgrath sent both the openers to the pavilion before Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman had a brilliant partnership on a turning track, both batsman scoring fifties. Hauritz broke the partnership as well as got the valuable scalp of VVS Laxman later in the inning as wicket number 4. Then comes Micheal Clarke and claimed his career-best figures of 6 wickets for 9 runs only. By the end of the third innings, India got a small lead of 106 runs, which was crucial on this pitch.

Final inning miracle

Before the first bowl bowled in the fourth inning, nobody could have predicted that India can win this match. Australia looked set to win the series with 3-0 because all they needed to score is 107, but destiny had different plans. India could not have asked for a better start as Zaheer Khan bowled a peach of a delivery to get Justin Langer out. After one initial blow, Australia had the best partnership of the fourth inning between Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden. Soon Murali Kartik got the wicket of Ponting, and that was the opening India was looking for. From here onwards India made sure Australia does not get away with a partnership. India got wickets of key players as well as tailenders in successive intervals and bowled out Australia for 93. Harbhajan Singh was the pick of the bowler and he secured a 5 wicket hall to help India a victory by 13 runs.